Spin Spin Sugar
by penguinfighter-d-chan
Summary: One murder leads the teams of both Miami and New York to the nether regions of society, where the dead and the living roam freely...crossover with NY...why can't the dead STAY dead? COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Lonely

_A/N: Thank you for reading **Between Desires and Insects** and now here's the next installment in the storyline..._

_**Spin Spin Sugar** is actually the name of a track in **Dance Dance Revolution** that I really enjoy and it just played itself into both CSI: Miami and New York. It's just a sexy song that comes to mind._

_This is actually the crossover that will stick out for the rest of the storyline, with characters from New York that my sister and I have given a twist to._

_This story also deals with 9-11 so anyone who is uncomfortable with the event, this story might not be for you. _

_The gore and paranormal stuff will be here...but I'd best shut up and let you read_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) their creators, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sisters_

* * *

1, Prologue: Lonely

The music boomed deafeningly loud along the weak plaster walls in the raving Fate bar. It had become infamous as the site of a couple of murders but that was in the past. It brought in twice as many patrons than before, some just wanting to be in the presence of where bodies once were.

_Two college graduates were outside, physically expressing their love for each other behind the bouncer's exit. The male touched his love's nether regions while the female tempted him with suckles around his neck. Already half dressed; they decided to go into one of the abandoned hotels in the area and make sweet love to each other. As they arrived at the foyer of the St. Lucía's Inn and Restaurant, the female dancer noticed a peculiar object stick out from rubble. She drew closer and took a lighter piece of cement...and found herself looking straight into the sorrowful eyes of a dead little child._

* * *

In New York City, Mac Taylor found himself wondering in his thoughts. It had been a while since he had done that. His left eye caused him a bit irritation but it had become normal for him. As long as it didn't stop his work. The paperwork had worn his sight momentarily just as Stella Bonasera came into the room. He smiled as the woman plopped a new assignment for them.

"Stella, how long has PECU been here?"

Stella rolled her eyes, not this again. "Five years to date. The case I just handed you is precisely related to that, so you can imagine how Danny must be right about now."

Taylor chuckled, "Like a kid with a new toy, I take it?"

"He IS a kid with a new toy; Kino's latest book arrived and he's eating it up. So, if I were you I'd keep that eye of yours out of sight until this case finishes."

The Miami scandal had concluded just over two months ago and it had Mac thinking for a while. He wasn't scared of vampires trying to capture him; he already had them on a leash. But something piqued his interest.

"Stella, how much was in that Federal grant that the mayor set up for PECU?"

"$5 million and the people are actually satisfied with the results, especially with the congressman found to be a cannibalistic zombie. Why?"

Mac grinned as he leaned on his desk. On it were cutouts of the whole Miami-DADE incident, ironically named 'Lost Sheep'. His thanks to the lieutenant was past due, perfect chance to set things right.

"Guess I'm going on vacation."

* * *

"I thought Horatio always showed up at the crime scene. You guys lied to me!" Daikonran Kino retorted with an annoyed expression as Calleigh Duquesne got off her Hummer.

"Trust me, he does; but today's a special occasion." The ballistic expert replied with a mischievous smile.

"And that would be?" Kino continued as he took out his own crime scene kit.

"Today's execution. He wanted to be there _personally_." Eric Delko answered.

"Hmm…never thought of him as morbid," Kino said to himself.

* * *

The execution was that of Stuart Otis; convicted child molester and serial killer.

He had a sizeable rap sheet that included 14 kidnappings, 1 attempted, and 14 murder charges, all of which he was found guilty. The court ruled for the death penalty by the matter of lethal injection. For the families of the deceased, it was but a bit of comfort that the murderer was put to justice.

Horatio sat in the farthermost seat of the room, just hidden from view. From all of his hidden scars, watching children die was one of his more permanent. To see resolution over that case would satisfy him the most. He then remembered a conversation with a little girl he had on the bus to Miami two months ago. She seemed just the type who would've fallen victim to Otis; five to six year range, eye-catching and vulnerable. He looked into the condemned man and subtly glared at him.

_You're getting what you deserve…paying your dues._

The reply was unfeeling and cold as Stuart was strapped to the stretcher and read his last rites. The audience looked on as the priest sprinkled the holy water onto Otis' forehead. Horatio cringed slightly; he was supposed to get his weekly dose of holy water that day.

Ever since he returned from Archimedes' torture, Secondet Leonhart, Daikonran's "wife", diagnosed him with the early stages of vampiric infection from all the bites the Covenant had given him. The only way to reverse it was to inject blessed water directly into his veins for a certain amount of time. He had been in treatment for 8 weeks and each occasion he'd get the same reaction: vomiting of blood and bleeding through the larger scars.

Horatio refocused, staring intently as the executioner introduced the first of four chemicals, the tranquilizer, and its chemical name sodium thiopental. The audience watched intently as Otis' muscles became eerily calm and relaxed. Caine's deep blue eyes could still meet with Otis, his stare relaxed.

"Is there anything that you would like to say to the audience before…"the lawyer present was interrupted by Stuart's very high claim.

"I am not scared of death…I know for a fact that the dead have a habit to come back, am I right, Horatio?"

The other members were unnerved but Horatio was indifferent to the comment. He probably heard of his captivity through the news, but that was the past. Something about the comment made him think…but he set is aside as delusional rambling. He watched as the executioner inserted the second chemical, the paralysis agent otherwise known as pancuronium bromide.

Just as the first seizures took place, the electric power suddenly short-circuited throughout the Lower Florida region, spreading absolute darkness in the early hours. When the lights flipped back on, the lieutenant took account of all present. He looked around; eleven members of the audience, himself, the lawyer, the executioner but no Otis in sight.

_How the hell?! _

The reinforced doors had not been opened or altered at the moment so the only people in the lethal injection chamber were those present. Horatio tried to move said door but found it near impossible to move without any help. Even worse, the whole room seemed just right, with nothing out of place.  
_Inside job…Doubt it._

The women were weeping inconsolably as Horatio conducted his preliminary search. Otis was on the loose and the quote he had spurted out just before the calming agent now haunted Caine's mind…

"Ryan, Dade Prison now."

* * *

Airplanes made Taylor just a bit nervous, but who could blame him? Losing his beloved wife to the 9-11 attacks did a number of his confidence in them. As the flight neared its destination, he reminded himself why he was there: to thank the lieutenant for the murder spree between both cities and get a word with his old friend, Kino. Not two seconds out of the airport, and he nearly collapsed from the sudden heat wave.

_Is it always this damn hot here?_ He asked himself while he called a taxi. "To Miami DADE," he requested from the taxi driver. He shook off the nearly four hours of flying, ready to enjoy the company.

* * *

"Poor baby…she had to be here for two days before anyone noticed. Massive blunt force trauma in the cranial area, spinal cord severed." Alexx Woods explained as she surveyed the childish body. "Baby went quick but not quick enough. Classic signs of domestic abuse."

Daikonran shuddered. "That hit close to home." He remarked as he revised the surrounding rubble. He looked up as to tie his hair back to find a gaping hole in the roof.

"Well we know how she got here; she was dumped." Calleigh stated, using her flashlight to locate any possible human involvement. "There's a possibility that whoever dumped her probably killed her too. Timeline's too fuzzy."

Eric patted the former bounty hunter on the back. "You sure you want to take this?"

"If I could take child killers in New York, this is cakewalk." Kino retorted as he headed up the rickety foyer stairs.

"Child Killers?" Delko inquired while accompanying Daikonran uphill the steps.

"Children who kill for the hell of it. Ex-assassins for the wars, ancient vamps, you'd be surprised how ruthless kids can be when pushed." Daikonran responded. Kino had been enlisted two months prior and he was enjoying himself. He was also recruited as a sniper with almost disturbing accuracy.

"All right we're at the site. About twenty, twenty-two feet at most from the body." He announced through the hole, greeting Duquesne with a flash of light.

"Find anything?"

Both men took a look around with their flashlights.

"Well, let me put it this way; I won't be coming home anytime soon for the next five hours." Kino stated with a tepid smile. There was something fair enough, a mole hole of something.

"And to think, we could be at Otis' execution."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Review are greatly appreciated! 


	2. Ties

_A/N: Second chapter up and I still don't know what SYLUM is..._

_Anyways, if anyone from New York seems a bit out of character, I apologize in advance because I never seem to catch which channel to watch it. _

_Also if there's some confusion about the plot, please notify me so I may fix it, ok?_

_Horatio, Mac and the CSI (c) their creators, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

_

2, Ties

Ryan Wolfe came as fast as he could to the penitentiary, his foot almost glued to the acceleration pedal. Horatio's voice meant business and it was best not to fail him. He was still in probation because of Erika Sykes' leak two months ago, even when he had proven he was helping Eric move a victim to the freezer.

_Now that I think about it, that excuse would've implicated me even more had there not been a homicidal ghost._

As he parked his vehicle, the crime scene investigator momentarily re-examined his experience but shook it off. He then took out his processing kit and headed straight to the Death Sentence block. The lament of mothers resounded along the cement and lead-lined walls. And by the look on Caine's face as he arrived, Ryan knew something had gone wrong with the execution.

"Sir?"

Horatio couldn't keep his eyes away from the mothers and relatives, too much grief to just dismiss them.

"Ryan, check for finger prints and foreign material; someone helped Otis escape the death penalty when the lights went out."

"We launched a search on all electric generators in the Miami-Dade area, no power surge to explain the black-out. Maybe an accidental…"

Horatio excused himself from the conversation, he recognized the mother of Emma, the one child that connected all the victims back when Megan was still in the workforce. "Ma'am…"

"You promised he wouldn't get out…that's twice he's done it…" she managed to say between sobs. She was reliving her daughter's last moments in Zany Town, her giggles; her playful tugs…her tiny lifeless body in the disabled bathroom.

"And I will catch him again. Thanks to the pancuronium bromide in his system, he's dying as we speak. We will try to get him before that happens." The lieutenant promised as Ryan began processing the execution bed and room. His camera captured details like footsteps linked to the physician, the needles used with the condemned man's DNA and the straps to hold him down in case he convulsed.

On the door however, there were latent prints on the door unlike the others he had seen. Ryan took out the black powder and carefully spread it across the print. The substance could barely stick; the evidence had almost no skin oil to maintain it. But in the end, Ryan managed to produce a good shot of the four main fingers and an even better sample for Fingerprint analysis.

"Got a print, sending it to post. Might get something on AFIS when we analyze it."

"Thank you Mr. Wolfe. Is there anything else of interest?" Horatio replied, turning his attention to the see-through glass window.

"I'll keep looking. In the meantime, Kino wanted to give you a message, something about a body found in the old St. Lucia Inn." Ryan continued as he took a pair of orange glasses and a green flashlight.

"I'll be there. Keep me posted."

* * *

Daikonran found himself pulling rags from decaying lumber while Eric dusted off any footprints. Delko discovered three sets of different people, two large and one small and barefooted, all quite recent, while Kino came across shreds of a skirt made of chiffon fiber. Alexx had long taken the body to her morgue and only Calleigh had remained with them.

"Calleigh, what was the body wearing?" Kino asked.

"I think it was something like a Sunday dress, but no skirt to go with it. Why?"

"I think I found it. How are you holding up, Delko?"

Eric brushed off some of the dust that had settled as he replied, "Got three pairs of footprints, one seemed a match to the victim." He took out his camera and snapped a few photos. The flash suddenly bounced back at him with a dulled glare.

"What the hell?" Eric thought out loud as he retook his flashlight and shone its light towards the direction of the flash.

"Is everything alright?" Calleigh inquired as Delko walked over to a pile of rubble that had yet to be checked. Eric shone the light into a small rat hole and peered inside.

"Yeah, just a silver pocket watch. Doesn't look like it's been here long, no rust or hard dirt." He replied while he slipped the object into an evidence envelope and sealed it tight. Daikonran mirrored his partner's actions and packaged the shredded garment in plastic bags.

"Secondet's gonna love me after I send him this."

* * *

Secondet Leonhart was preparing the examination table for the new arrival when he noticed his watch was running late.

_Or maybe the lieutenant doesn't want his shots; either way I don't blame him._ He chuckled lightly as he pushed back some of his auburn hair. He looked like a porcelain doll compared to the body resting on the other table.

He heard knocking on the door and pushed the body into its locker to receive his guest. It was one of the carriers with a new body to work on.

"Hullo! What do you have for me today?" he said in a chipper tone, signing the documents.

"A sad little thing. Found in the old St. Lucía hotel," the man said, taking back his clipboard. The boy thanked him and bid him farewell. He then proceeding to open the black body bag; drawing a shocked gasp from him.

_She's just a baby!_ He thought, tears swelling up. _She could be my daughter, doesn't look a day older than 5_.

"Don't worry, little one; we'll catch however did this to you," he whispered, mostly to himself to prevent breaking down.

He laid out the instruments and began to clean them for Alexx. Every once in a while, he caressed her face, as if to let her know she's not alone. Once he was finished, he took a chair and sat besides the dead child. The boy took her tiny hand and began humming softly a lullaby. No child should ever be in an examination table…especially for something so violent.

Alexx had watched everything from above and felt Secondet was unprepared for opening the frail body.

_I trust him with my life, but emotions cannot impede examinations_, she thought, sighing.

"Secondet, you'd better go get the toxicology reports, I'll take it from here."

After a few incisions, Alexx opened the fragile rib cage. The organs were all jumbled together onto the back, sticking the spine vertebrae, a clear indicator of falling back first. She then cut a small piece of the liver and placed it in a thermometer.

_Time of death, three days. As stated before, massive blunt force trauma to the cranium and spinal cord, latter being result of a vertical fall 22 feet in the air._

She then began emptying her stomach contents; to see what she had eaten just before death took the child away. The sweet smell and soft consistency gave indication of candy or pastries, a possible lure for the girl to her killer. Alexx took the stiff fingers and processed her hands for prints but not before noting the lack of struggle bruises.

_Maybe a sexual assault kit might give us a good idea of who did this to you, ok?_

* * *

"Someone likes to overcompensate." Mac told himself as he stepped out of the taxi. As much as he wanted to just lie down, he had to see if anyone on his mental to-do list was around those parts. He entered the building and was greeted with protocol check up and inquiry of visit.

"To see a friend."

As Taylor showed the guards his badge, he noticed a young man, not older than twenty, recline against the reception. The hair, the bright blue-green eyes, the fair skin and the mannerisms struck a bell. _No way…_

* * *

Secondet wiped away his tears as he headed up the stairs to the medical examiner's lobby. He waited as the secretary finished her call to request the results from Toxicology.

"Marigold, do you have my results?"

"Um, not yet Mr. Leonhart. They should be done in ten more minutes."

Secondet sighed rather annoyed; he expected something a little faster than this. He leaned on the smooth desk surface and waited.

"Sexie?" Secondet responded to the name a bit confused.

_That's not my husband, but he's the only who calls me that, unless…_

"Taylor?"

* * *

A/N: So howas it? Reviews are welcome 


	3. Protect

_A/N: Chapter 3 is up and now for the notes (SOMEONEPLEASETELLMEWHATTHEHELLISSYLUM)_

_Sexie isn't pronounced "Sexy" the original nickname just didn't seem right to write with._

_Horatio, Mac and their respective teams (c) their creators, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister, the rest, me_

_

* * *

_

_3, Protect_

A warm smile appeared on Secondet's face amidst the tragedy as he ran to his old friend.

"Mac Taylor; never thought you'd hit the tropics! Aren't you supposed to be melting or something?" the boy grinned.

"And I thought you wouldn't go back to that androgynous shape you had back then. Guess I owe Sheldon some $45 dollars." The New Yorker chuckled as he patted the boy's shoulder.

"But really, aren't the clauses in your…shouldn't you stay in New York?" Secondet asked, his tone serious and pointing at Mac's left eye.

"The bastard died before we could establish geographic boundaries, courtesy of a bullet in the frontal brain lobe." He answered, understanding where Secondet was coming from. He too had worried if leaving the city would have any adverse side effects on his health. "So what are you up to in CSI? Another bounty?"

"Nope, Dai and I decided to become official and stick it in Miami. New York's far too cold for the kids' health," Secondet answered, pushing back some stray hair.

Taylor smiled, he remembered the little tykes from back then…and the ruckus they caused between the shifts.

"Mr. Leonhart, your toxicology results are done." Marigold said, handing the folder over. The boy scanned through it and saw what he wanted. The worried look on his eyes told Mac that the results were troubling to say the least.

"Thanks, Marigold," he said and turned to Taylor, "I'm really sorry, but I got an actual schedule to work on."

As Secondet left the lobby, Mac looked around the floor with either modesty or pride. He saw through the boy's angelic disposition.

_Sexie…_

* * *

Secondet hurried to Alexx just to meet Horatio in his path. He quickly bowed in respect and sped to the medical examiner.

"Alexx, I just got the tox report."

"And?"

"Read."

Alexx decided to go along with the boy's hunch and analyzed the results. Formaldehyde, methanol and ethanol were found considerable amounts spread throughout the body. Her eyebrows raised, she shot an incredulous stare at the boy-angel.

"If I'm not mistaken, those are embalming fluids right?"

"Then our timeline is completely lost. This child was dead way longer than just two days ago." The medical examiner concluded, as she closed the body, causing Secondet to slightly cringe. "Dammit."

"I'll run a search on any exhumed or vandalized cemeteries in the Miami area." He managed to say before running away from the office. Alexx could only watch as Secondet threw up in a nearby trashcan.

_I don't even want to know._

* * *

Horatio had other thoughts in mind when he saw Kino's wife blow his chunks. "You ok?"

"I-I'll be fine…I just had a bad lunch." Secondet responded, wiping the remains of his meal from his mouth.

"You go drink some water and I'll catch up to you. We do have an appointment tonight." The lieutenant comforted while rubbing his hand on the boy's back. He could feel the ridges produced by a pair of wings, the feather's spines like thin twigs along his fingertips. Secondet nodded and returned to the post while Horatio left towards Print analysis.

Ryan had already uploaded the prints into the database just a few minutes before.

"Do we have something?" Caine asked as he entered the room.

"Not really; just got it on the net and it doesn't prove promising." Wolfe replied, sighing tiredly as he wrote in some numbers. "Oh yeah, there's a package waiting for you down at the lobby."

"Thank you."

Horatio was welcomed with a large bouquet of red roses as he claimed the sent package. He smirked when he saw the correspondent was and looked around. No one seemed out of place until he saw a familiar face. Horatio hid the small card in his pocket and walked over to meet the stranger.

"Detective Taylor?"

The face sprung up at the sound the name and grinned. "Lieutenant Horatio Caine, it's been a while."

"I take it you're on vacation?"

"More like unredeemable time-off. Just came down here to say to Kino and his family." Taylor explained as the men shook hands. "Sexie tells me that it's for the kids' health."

_Well, that's an odd nickname._

"So you're the agency that Daikonran talks about? Never thought of it." Caine said as he looked out to see Calleigh's Hummer park. "Speak of the devil."

Daikonran arrived in a separate vehicle but in time nonetheless. He dragged a pasty young man, handed him to the guards and took out his recovered evidence.

"All yours, do be careful, he bites."

Mac was clearly amused at the way the former bounty hunter handled the situation, so reminiscent of weeks past. "Why does this sound so familiar to a certain event in Queens?"

Daikonran recognized the comment and turned around. "Because that day you decided to poke fun at me and call me Fuky-Mi. What was it that you said? Oh yeah, 'Daiki love you long time'."

They exchanged hellos and greetings as they entered the building. "What, no creepy-crawlies or bad guys left in the Big Apple? I'm only asking instead of the proverbial melting joke." Kino commented until he spotted Horatio.

"Lieutenant, we seem to have a witness for our case of a dead five year old female child. Since it was processed by Miss Duquesne, she told me to hand over all evidence to you." He stated, handing over the evidence envelopes. As Caine read the report, he set the escape in a temporary second priority and caught up with the case.

"So what's with the young man over there?"

"Witness. He saw movement over at St. Lucia's just over two days ago, just in the time line Alexx established. Thought he have something." Kino continued, Mac not at all impressed as he observed the information relay.

"Then let's have a chat with our good man, shall we?" Horatio offered as he returned the folder to its owner. He shifted to Mac and said, "Sorry we couldn't be of any service…"

"That's ok, I can wait. I've got two weeks off anyways." Taylor intervened, walking towards the cafeteria room. He rubbed his left eye thoroughly before sitting down and grabbing a snack.

* * *

Tyler Perry was as jumpy when both Horatio and Daikonran entered as when the bounty hunter had found him roaming the scene.

"All right, tell the lieutenant what you told me."

His reaction was a violent twitch around his eyes and a jerk of the neck. "I-I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?" Kino retorted, his face a mix of annoyance and incredibility.

"I-I need…my…" Tyler stuttered, his stare away from the investigators. His movements and seizures were those so strikingly similar to that of a heroin addict.

"Dammit, I forgot. He's thirsty." Daikonran chided as he leaned back, his hand over his forehead. Without hesitation, Horatio rolled up his right sleeve showed the young man his exposed forearm.

"Is this enough?" He asked, watching as Tyler picked up the scent and sounds of pumping blood. Tyler looked up, to check for any duplicity before he bit into the lieutenant's veins.

Horatio hissed instinctively but allowed the witness to drink. Both they and Mac, who had seen the whole thing from the cafeteria, watched as the rosy complexion of years before took over and Tyler relaxed. He took his mouth away and immediately Caine collapsed onto the table. He managed to stand up, even after losing half a pint of blood.

"Are you ready to talk?"

Tyler nodded a yes and began with,

"I was looking for a bite to eat, pun not intended. I remembered that my old mate told about how people would sneak into the St. Lucia and have sex; perfect place to grab and drink." He then turned to Horatio with a dangerous look. "You look like you've had your share of bites."

Horatio smirked, "Let's just say I've had a collective experience. What happened two days ago?"

"Well I was roaming around three or four in the morning when I found a group, two adults one minor, enter the inn. I heard some heated arguing, and then I heard a Boom. After that, the two adults just ran away. I checked but there was not a living soul in that inn." Perry concluded.

"Thank you. Now please follow the police officers to your holding cell." Kino thanked as Tyler was taken away. "Do you believe him?"

Horatio looked at his newest bite and said, "For handing my blood like that, he'd better be telling the truth."

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are welcome 


	4. Timepiece

_A/N: Sorry I took so long! _

_Trying to write at the same time I'm getting ready so again I'm sorry!_

_the CSIs (c) their creators, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sisters

* * *

_

4, Timepiece

Eric took out the watch he had found and placed it on the pallid examination table. It was a plain little thing, with only a few vines inscribed and welded into the lid. He then put on a pair of latex gloves and attempted at manually prying the cover with no assistance.

_Damn…this thing's not budging._

After trying one more time with a pair of wire pliers, he found a small switch disguised as a minute dial. He pushed it lightly to release a quick mechanism. With the help of gravity, a small piece of paper slipped out onto the white surface. Using tweezers, Eric lifted the label and rested it on a light.

_Felicity Thompson April 27-April 30_

_Return to provider._

Delko reread the item and wrote it down. It had no year, no way of stating date of birth.

_Wasn't the body found two days ago?_

The CSI brushed the pocket watch lightly with fingerprint powder, revealing two sets of adult and child fingerprints. Eric then compared those of the child to the victim. A match and the St. Lucia victim finally had a temporary name.

Delko quickly dialed Alexx's post to relay the news.

"Alexx? It's Delko. I found a name in a pocket watch on the floor just over the victim's location; it's Felicity Thompson."

He could picture a cheerless smile run across her face as she replied, "Thanks Eric, I was tired of calling her Jane Doe."

A thought hit the investigator, just to corroborate the dates. "Hey, could you run a check on that name? See if either April 27 or April 30 ring a bell with her."

"Secondet's right on it."

Eric thanked the medical examiner while he hung the phone. Now for the mystery adult's.

* * *

Ryan's search on AFIS had gone on for at least an hour and still there wasn't a single hit. His head bobbed a bit; he had yet to sleep the required five hours and they were all rushing to his senses. He tried to stay awake but the moment his forehead landed on the desk, he simply fell asleep over a closed manila folder.

_Beep all ready damn you!_

* * *

With ethereal ease and calm contrary to his previous state, Secondet tested the syringe in his hand. He left the computer to run the search on its own as the liquid sprayed a little and dripped to the proper measurement. Horatio entered the office, wrapping his sleeves up to his bicep muscle. Secondet then put on a pair of gloves and pinpointed an available blood vessel.

"Serving number nine, .01 milliliters per pound, H2O, no additional electrolytes." The angel wrote somberly before swabbing the elbow junction point with a cotton puff soaked in rubbing alcohol. "Anything to change the previous statement?"

"Just that I had to feed a witness in order to get an account."

Secondet laughed quietly as he inserted the needle into the vein. Horatio felt a slight sting as the provider slowly pushed the contents into his blood stream. After cleaning the puncture wound, Secondet wrote again on the piece of paper while he asked,

"You sure you can manage the whole 25-week program? I've seen people quit because of it."

Caine grinned as he replaced his shirt. "I think I can manage. Besides, Frank wants an update on the escaped prisoner and my lead's running through AFIS."

"This is going to be one hell of a night." Secondet remarked, his train of thought interrupted by a horrible wet cough. Red gravitational spots landed on the pristine floors but Horatio made no attempt to hide them. He accepted his illness and kept walking towards the exit.

* * *

Frank Tripp waited in the lobby, his focus on the unknown officer in the cafeteria. The officer grinned and lifted his drink cup, something that annoyed the crap out of the detective. He spotted Horatio and pointed at the man.

"Who the hell is that?"

"A friend of Kino's. Now, why are you here at such a late hour?" Horatio responded while he received a folder full of photographs.

"This is the entire St. Lucia area. Had it canvassed after the couple who discovered your corpse decided to have a little brawl." Frank explained, pointing to the female's bruising and contusions.

The lieutenant coughed considerably before he could reply. Blood splattered on his sleeves as he wiped his mouth. "Thank you. Anything on Otis?"

The detective shook his head, "The area was immaculate except for those prints Ryan got. Like the earth simply swallowed him in the black-out."

"But that's not the case, now is it? We need to find Stuart before he can get back on his feet or we'll be finding more little girls like our Jane Doe." Horatio warned, his blue eyes loaded with hatred for the man.

* * *

Mac watched from afar, the baseball game he was watching was boring anyways. His attention focused on the lieutenant's movements and reactions to the bald guy's news.

_Hmm…bald is such an offensive term._

"Don't be spying with that dealt eye of yours." Daikonran scolded.

Taylor chuckled, "It's been what, five years, since the idiot lost it to me. And I didn't even have to play a fiddle. Not that I'm any good."

Said eye acquired an amber gold hue as its owner smiled. "So what are you guys dealing with?"

"That information is not available to civilians or to out-of-jurisdiction officers, now get a hotel and soak up the sun. You need a little glow." Kino stated as he left the cafeteria, holding a plate of cheesecake left by some unfortunate rookie in his lips.

"Coming from the guy that spent hours and hours locked up in a room," Taylor countered, munching on the remainder of the sandwich he bought.

Daikonran hurried to his post, his fabric analysis would be complete as he tried to eat the pastry. The paper rolled out of the printer, ink still wet as he ate a spoonful. The dress shreds still had some latent epithelial details; for one thing a knife held by the possible killer's hand had ripped it. He scrapped it for precious skin cells to send to Valera but stopped for a moment.

_Just a hunch but…_he thought as he drew out a vial of holy water from one of Secondet's set. Kino then withdrew some into a syringe and capped it while he placed half of the skin cells into a microscope. After a quick examination, he squirted the liquid into the sample. The predominant fumes of rotting flesh appeared as the skin cells burned themselves into ashes.

_The killer is a bloodsucker…excellent_; he smirked.

* * *

Stuart woke up to the scent of rust and petroleum. This was definitely not the execution chamber he was before. Even so, he was outside the prison walls; his heart fluttered from happiness. He couldn't move through the dank area; he was strapped down to a metal fold-up chair.

"Is anyone there?" he asked quite stupidly to the darkness. A female laugh, one that rang across the moist mortar bricks like silk, responded.

* * *

Calleigh was just about to go into Delko's post when Kino stopped her on her tracks.

"This better be good, I was about to hand over the trace evidence…"

The beaming grin on Daikonran's face said, "You don't need to, I got a suspect. Found his grimy little DNA all over the victim's skirt, or what's left of it."

"Well then, enlighten us when the rest of us have our evidence checked; I still have to earn my paycheck." Calleigh stated with a similar smile as she entered the room.

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Review are always appreciated 


	5. Traffic

_A/N: Thank you for the hits! _

_Hope you like this chapter, some reference to the previous fanfic._

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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_

5, Traffic

The barred closet door stood out against the rest of the building as Calleigh headed to the main analysis room. It was littered with warnings and threatening graffiti but a sign relished in all of the attention; it read loudly in Spanish and English,

_TOXIC BIOLOGICAL WASTE DO NOT OPEN._

The woman shuddered; like Valera and the rest of her team, she knew that there was more than just waste. She simply prayed that no curious idiot would open the door. She strutted into Kino's post with her trademark optimism, even with the grim knowledge that no amount of cleaning agents could ever remove Silvia Hong-Kim's bloodstains from the building's psyche. She also didn't count or notice a certain New York CSI following her and stopping the door with the tip of his shoe.

"All right; we've got a possible name for our little miss, courtesy of Eric. We also have a reasonable suspect in custody. So why does it seem like something's missing?" Daikonran laid out the available information while Calleigh settled.

"Because it is. Victim and crime scene don't corroborate each other in collateral damage. If there was an actual struggle, there should've been more than the little evidence we got." Calleigh responded.

Kino sighed somewhat defeated, rereading the evidence. "I don't like this case; rings too close to home. Let's just review and see if something clicks in our heads."

* * *

Secondet scrapped around his mind, the results were just too contradicting. He had seen it before but he couldn't place it. He could almost hear Danny and Lindsay's voices, repeating garbled messages and conversations. It was a situation in which memories and reality meshed.

_Hey Sexie! You think the pretty kid's been treated or something?_

_I know I'm not much of a specialist here in the PECU division but doesn't it strike you as weird…?_

"Damn, I know this one…" the angel finally decided to just personally send it to his spouse and move on. No more handling the dead that night.

* * *

Daikonran rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. It read 1:05 am, his hospital shift over at DADE Memorial Hospital was already over and it was now time for bed. But he wasn't about to leave Calleigh with that mountain of evidence; a true gentleman puts the lady in first priority. He got up from his chair and offered a drink to the ballistics expert.

"Coffee, thank you." She replied between yawns.

Just as Kino opened the door, Secondet ran to his side. He handed his results mutely and sped off back to Alexx's post. The suddenness of the whole thing startled Daikonran, being able to only blurt out,

"Honey?"

He opened the file and understood why his spouse had run off so fast: the toxicology report further messed up their case by completely destroying the timeline. He looked up to the ceiling and murmured,

"You hate me."

"I'd hate to break it to you but according to the tox reports, our girl had been dead for at least three months. " Daikonran stated, the slight exhaustion evident in his tone.

Calleigh sat up straight in shock, her mouth dropped open. "You're kidding?! But the liver temperature, the levels of rigor mortis; all of the evidence state three days! There is no way to fake that without leaving some kind of track."

A sarcastic chuckle was heard from outside. Daikonran glared to the reclining officer just outside the office.

"Do you have a suggestion, detective Taylor? Or do I have to literally kick you out of the building?"

Mac earnestly shrugged and with his gestures, asked to be let in. A resigned nod from Kino and he was allowed into the room. Mac quietly settled on the farthermost seat of the table and skimmed through the report as if it were one of his own. With the same reverent smile and silence, he picked one of the skirt scraps and scrutinized its every tear.

"You got DNA from this?" he inquired, never losing sight of the shred he held.

"I sent some of it to Valera. Proved the sample to be undead particles. We also have a convenient vampire witness on hold." Kino responded, still in the dark of whatever was going through Mac's head.

"Miss Duquesne, could you please read the levels of formaldehyde and methanol and tell me what those levels mean?" Taylor continued, a grin peering into his face. His expression was challenging, tempting both to try and figure it out for themselves.

"The numbers aren't precise but I'd say those are enough to kill a person and…" the slow discovery set into both crime scene investigators as Mac simply added while crossing his arms onto his chest,

"I'm willing to bet $50 that Sexie's just about to come back and tell you all about a recently vandalized grave or something to the matter."

* * *

The condemned man tried to distinguish any traits from the dark cell but his only guide was the unknown female's voice as she spoke;

"Mr. Stuart Otis, my superiors tell me that you have quite the murderous streak. Is that why you were on Death Row?"

"Y-yeah…y'see I like children..." he gulped a response.

The woman giggled in a vain manner. "Little girls I hope?"

Stuart nervously nodded a yes. He still didn't have a grip on reality as the sodium thiopental gradually wore off. A warped image of a woman stepped out of the darkness, her only remaining eye staring down on him with frightful joy.

"Perfect. I needed to expand my market."

The child murderer was confused but nonetheless listened to the woman as she asked, "Mr. Otis, are you in the mood to make a deal?"

* * *

Secondet's rushed antics almost cost him a clue as he interpreted the last page to be printed. There had been a recent raid on the local cemetery all right; three exhumed bodies nowhere to be found. Even more so, they all had a connection…

"Miss Felicity Thompson, born May 12th, 1998 died two years ago. She was five years old. Her final resting place was in the news as one of the three raids; no perpetrators were found." He gasped as all the officers presented turned around.

Mac held out his hand towards Daikonran. "I accept cash only."

"So this means the girl was placed there…" Calleigh inferred only to be turned down by Taylor.

"Not if the girl could already walk on her own. We're talking reanimation here, ladies and gentlemen."

The computer search finally gave a shrill beep, waking Ryan from his name. A match was ultimately found on AFIS with all the reference points aligned. He quickly clicked on the 'yes' box and waited for the full the full download. What he saw made him pale considerably, the red letters flashed continuously into his mind. He suddenly saw Horatio walk over him and quickly brought up another search to distract him.

_Deceased in the line of duty…

* * *

_

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated


	6. Little Dead Doll

_A/N: Sorry I took so long with updating! Work is consuming my time._

_Here, this chapter is about both pedophilia AND necrophilia so if you're squemish, don't read!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister, the rest (c) me

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_

6, Little Dead Doll

Eric raced to the conference room, the information he had obtained safely gripped in his hand. There was new developments coming up and he had to get there. In said place were Kino, Calleigh and the New York CSI that led the Harry Darius case, all already discussing.

"You could've paged me." Delko managed to say as he caught his breath. Taylor chuckled in response,

"Strange, I didn't know the system changed and now the lieutenant has to watch over your ass or so I see with Kino over here."

Before any animosity surged, Calleigh interrupted with a swift move, "Gentlemen, we're dealing with a delicate case. Eric, what do you have for us?"

Eric then took three pieces of paper; intricate blue designs complemented the Florida State seal, Vivaldi styles reading in full black ink;

_Death Certificate Felicity Thompson, Death Certificate Jasmine Roberts, Death Certificate Pilar Montenegro_

"Did a search, these are the missing corpses from the April 25 raids." Eric explained, then pointing to Cause of Death. All were eerie sisters to their victim's; severed spinal cords from medium height falls with previous neck trauma.

Daikonran looked at Mac, who was now deep in thought. He recognized that look; he was drawing those precious red strings in his mind to connect the evidence.

"It's a dollhouse."

"I'm not following." Horatio's voice boomed in the room. His mouth had some crimson stains that were hurriedly wiped but his stance was still the same. But Kino's medical insight told another story; extensive lung convulsions and internal hemorrhaging. In other words, Horatio had been consistently coughing up blood for at least ten minutes.

"You still have that witness? The bloodsucker I mean." Taylor asked, his somber stare also taking slight notice on the dried spots.

"In custody. Is there something else he isn't telling us?" Caine replied, his answer a smirk from Mac.

"Let's not spoil the main lead for the rest, shall we?" the detective stood up and let the lieutenant lead the way.

* * *

"I-I don't get it…you want to do business with me?" Stuart asked, further entertaining the female abomination. She toyed with the rust that hanged from the bars.

"Yes, you third rate pedophile. You might be of some use to my superiors; they say you can do a great job with your victims." The woman responded with an annoyed tone. This human was even more boring than Darren, who was now spending 30 years to life for her. Fat chance of her ever coming back to those arms.

"Then what do you want me to do? I'll do anything!"

The woman's malicious smile revealed her undead personality. "Will you now?"

* * *

Tyler was lying on his back, picking his teeth when he heard footsteps headed his way. His stare was met with that of the lieutenant, his interrogator and some other guy he hadn't met.

"Get up."

Perry dismissed the lieutenant's command and rested on his side. "No thanks."

"You lied to me." Horatio shot back while he closed the surrounding window shields.

"I don't care; you're all dinner to me anyways." The vampire chided, only to be kicked to the floor by the man. "Hey! That's police brutality!"

"And you have no rights because last I checked, D.C. is still confused over laws to protect the dead in situations like this." Kino coldly stated. "So you either cooperate or you'll find yourself in the business end of a cross."

After practically dragging the man to the Interrogation room, Tyler looked around the three men. Not surprisingly, the younger CSI placed a wooden cross on top of the table. The vampire's skin fizzled in the form of acid burns as his handcuffed hands darted away from the surface.

"Now answer truthfully to whatever these two ask."

_Thanks for warming him up, Kino,_ Mac thought, remembering similar interrogations back in the Big Apple before starting the session with,

"Tyler, how well did you know Felicity?"

The vampire shifted in his seat, shaking his head. "I don't go for tykes."

Mac laughed at the comment, "But you do business with them; well, the traffickers."

Perry became stiff as a board at the mention. "I-I don't know what…"

"Are you a go-between for a dollhouse?" The question clicked in Daikonran's mind. _No way…_

"Part-time, nightshift," Tyler growled under his breath. Taylor grinned and motioned the guards to come.

"Take him; I need to update these two on the situation privately."

As Tyler disappeared from their line of sight, Horatio tried to make sense of the interview. Kino noticed and proceeded to explain.

"Dollhouses are literally houses for dolls, so don't warp your mind too much. Girls are marketed as prostitutes and sent to their clients' homes. Ages can vary between 5 years to 18 years. The trick is, the girls they normally get are those who no one cares for so it's like they're working on free will." He stopped to catch his breath, allowing Taylor to finish.

"So why use the name 'doll'?" Caine inquired.

"The kinds of girl they market are the cold type, lieutenant." The New York CSI stated.

* * *

Ryan tried making the search national but it came up with the same results. The problem was that nothing in this earth could move as fast. He then remembered the speeds at which Silvia almost decimated his partners had there not been intervention.

_How the hell am I supposed to tell this to Horatio?_

Wolfe smashed his fist to the glass desk, frustration evident in his face. He finally decided to print out the information and let fate roll.

"Please don't bite me in the ass."

* * *

"Dolls, in short, are reanimated corpses of girls that are used in prostitution," Kino summarized promptly. Horatio's spine crawled at the thought. "Traffickers pick those who died either illness or strangulation; any death that minimizes scarring."

"All we need is a local provider. They normally carry receipts and tag the girls so they don't lose track of merchandise. The practice is commonplace up in the New England states and California, where there isn't a lot of post-mortem laws." Mac continued, taking a look at Delko's file as said CSI headed their way.

Delko had run the paper strip through handwriting analysis and came up with a promising lead in one Mrs. Tammy Henderson, over in Coco Beach. Had she not widowed and signed a release form for all of her husband's assets, there would've not been a sample to compare. She was a comfortable high-class woman of 46 years who lived off the $6 million and was known to have more than one side business.

"H, I think I got a lead. She's twenty minutes from here. Want me to follow it up?" He presented. Mac raised his hand slightly to interrupt Eric.

"Better yet; why don't you stay here and check on Felicity and I'll take care of it." Horatio replied as he took the photograph. He then changed focus to the other investigators. "So who's coming with me?"

Just as Daikonran was about to respond, Taylor cut him short with, "Might as well go; you probably won't know what you're looking for."

* * *

Immediately after Horatio and Eric left the room, Daikonran grabbed Mac's sleeve and asked,

"What the hell? You're out of jurisdiction."

Taylor snickered, "You're talking jurisdiction to me?"

"Yes, and you're about 3000 miles off Queens. Taylor, are you holding out on purpose? 'Cause it's no secret that you are a proud, patriotic bastard," Kino growled under his breath.

Mac shrugged as he entered Horatio's Hummer. _Taylor, what are you hiding from me?_

* * *

The seductress snapped her fingers; a couple of meatheads obeyed and released Otis from the chair.

"We give you freedom and subpoena…in exchange for your services." She continued, her glass nails tearing his wrists. Stuart didn't have to think much to know this was a great deal.

"I'll do…"

The woman took back her hand, her malevolent grin now evident even through her acid burns. "Think this through; it's just like making a deal with a devil."

With no hesitation to hold him back, he shook the female's hand and stated, "I want to work for you."

"Good. My name is Marla Ruez."

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated


	7. Tamatha

_A/N: Thank you for all the hits and reviews!_

_Not much to say here but I hope you enjoy, ok? any mistakes, notify me_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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7, Tamatha

The posh suburban surrounds did nothing to dissuade either officer as the Hummer rolled into 24 Coco Beach Boulevard. An exquisite mix of modern and the former 60's style, both men entered with cautious silence.

"Mrs. Henderson? This is Horatio Caine, Miami-DADE police." The lieutenant announced after ringing the bell twice. Mac scanned the area, no apparent alarm system in place for such an expensive neighborhood. They heard a loud wail, something along the lines of weeping.

"Come in, I was just…celebrating my husband's anniversary." A woman's voice responded, her voice quivering with likely sorrow. Both men arrived to the main promenade, where the home's owner offered them some drinks. To summarize her physical aspects, she was clearly doctored from her bleached hair to the perfect dainty feet that were held in Gucci clothes.

_In Daikonran's words, we've got ourselves a Barbie…_Mac thought, reminiscent of other plastic women up north.

"Mrs. Henderson, we understand you've recently signed a release for your husband's 18th century piano to be pawned off for the sum of $560,000 dollars."

He began as Horatio surveyed the place.

"Yes. It was a horrid thing…I didn't quite catch your name." she said, every syllable a stifled laugh opportunity for the New Yorker provided by the deep crevasses around her mouth.

Horatio took noticed and thanked God that said CSI wasn't there to bluntly pick out all the surgeries the woman had while Mac replied his name.

"New York? You don't have jurisdiction here." Tammy chided. _Crap, the Barbie's smarter than she looks._

"But I do. Your handwriting was found in a piece of paper just a few feet from a dead little girl in the old St. Lucia Inn over at the Club District. Mind explaining that?" Horatio shot back, getting ready to open his file.

"I'm sorry? You must've confused your sources; I hate children." The woman squinted her eyes to the lieutenant.

"_Felicity Thompson, April 27 to April 30, return to provider_…we compared it with other databases all around the Florida area and your handwriting matched 19 of 20 points of reference." Caine read out loud, Mrs. Henderson paling considerably.

"Mrs. Herderson, do you by any chance, know what a dollhouse is?" Mac inquired, much to the woman's dismay.

* * *

Ryan arrived one minute too late to catch his boss before he left. He did however encounter Kino as he locked down the Thompson witness. "Kino!"

Daikonran spun around, surprised at the urgency in Wolfe's voice. "What is it?"

Ryan handed the file and stood back. "I ran it twice both local and national. Is this even possible?"

Daikonran tried to grasp the situation; both he and Wolfe were practically new guys compared to the rest of the team. "Sadly yes, bodies become public property once the last shovel of dirt settles. And if you know the right person, it could be as easy as paying your bills."

* * *

"So, that's what they call it up in the Yankee states. I simply call it paid company." Mrs. Henderson answered, her demeanor becoming colder by the second.

"Paid company to who, Mrs. Henderson?" Horatio continued; his interest piqued at the comment.

"The older the girl, the higher up in the food chain. I've seen some of my 18-year-olds go off with primetime investors. It's the new prostitution." She continued.

"Of course it is; there's never a shortage, barely any legal action can be taken and…" Mac grinned sarcastically. "No sexually transmitted diseases or other nasty downsides to living prostitutes."

Horatio's stomach flipped, even more "pleasant" images flashing in his head. "Since you just confessed to being the local madam, I have just one question."

"And that would be?" Tammy was exasperated with these two men and just wanted to go on with her business.

"Who's the provider?"

Tammy gave the officers a dirty look before responding, "No way in this lifetime. I might just get killed."

Taylor stood up and as they both exited the room, he said, "If you don't keep your girls on a leash, that might be sooner than you think."

* * *

Daikonran's cell phone rang loudly as he was just about to reprocess Felicity for more evidence. Mac' voice boomed in his ear, saying,

"Just got the madam of the victim's dollhouse, we need a provider ASAP."

"I'll get right on it, examining her for marks right now," he answered, hanging up the phone. He headed over to Alexx's post; Ryan's file still fresh in his memories.

"Hullo, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take a second look at Felicity," he said calmly. She nodded and answered while taking out another victim's liver out,

"She's on the top, third locker right."

He nodded thanks and opened the steel door. Just as pristine as she had been when they last saw each other. _With any luck, I can still get something useful,_ Kino thought, reading Alexx's report. With care, he lifted her from her resting place and placed her on a second table.

"And what, may I ask, are you doing?" the medical examiner asked, looking over to catch a glimpse.

"The witness stated that she's a doll, therefore, I'm looking for any tallies, or checkpoints. These girls have a predetermined route to follow after their contracts with their madams have finished. This girl wasn't supposed to end her contract until April 30."

"Today's the 26th." Alexx stated, glancing at a calendar.

"Exactly, she was on route before her neck was severed, thus ending both her lives," Kino agreed, still looking for those signature markings on her frail hands. "Felicity was given a second chance, but for the wrong reasons," he said, noticing some bruised tissue on her throat.

"Alexx, were these bruises documented?" he inquired, a smile forming on his face. The M.E. walked over and was surprised to see new damage after so long

"No, those weren't there before. Why?" she asked, as they took a more defined shape. Kino quickly took some pictures while Alexx was observant of the detail that took form on the girl's neck.

"I'll go process these. I might just have her original cause of death."

* * *

Stuart received the five-star treatment, thoroughly bathed and clothed. His guides through the abandoned hospital made sure he was satisfied all through the night. Marla watched gleefully only to be interrupted by a call. She again snapped her fingers, commanding another of her undead servants to answer the phone.

"Um, it's Henderson over at Coco Beach." The man's John Doe voice replied, covering the telephone's mouthpiece.

Marla made a scornful sound and grabbed the handset. "Yes, what is it?"

A couple of muffled hysterics were shared in the conversation, the seductress not at all amused at her employee's antics. "And you confessed? Did you tell them who's your provider?"

"No, but that damned Lt. Caine and his partner kept poking for a while…should I be worried?" Tammy asked rather nervously. The name incited immediate lust all over Marla's body; her sweet fallen angel. She still remembered how much Archimedes wailed and whined, refusing to drink any blood because Horatio had slipped away.

_Bring me back my angel! I want my angel back!_

The screams resonated in her ears, echoing in her twisted mind. So much in fact that she almost lost her train of thought. "There's no need to worry, Mrs. Henderson; you'll still get your new shipment as planned on the 30th. All I need is the previous…" Marla responded, her desire overflowing from her tones.

"All right, thank you miss Ruez."

Marla had been counting the days that she would see Horatio again, to dip his face in holy water and burn away his features. His escape cost her so much. But she dismissed the thought and focused on her newest acquisition as he devoured every dish served.

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated


	8. Danse Macabre

_A/N: Thank you for the hits!_

_Well, I'm gonna rot in hell XD Not really apologizing for what happens in this chapter_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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8, Danse Macabre

"Damn, these Hummers are huge!" Mac exclaimed as Horatio drove towards the main highways. "Anyways, we'd best keep an eye on Henderson."

"Taylor, she's low end and you know it." The lieutenant said as the nightlife lighted the range of sight. Horatio had dealt with prostitution and child extortion rings before, so he decided to treat it as such. "How do you know so much about dollhouses?"

"New York has loads of them, they all center around the major corporations. They can also be mail order, long-distance, the works. All you need is a willing public." The CSI explained. Horatio smirked,

"And you came down here for…?"

"To see Secondet and Kino. Hate to admit it but we miss them. I just don't like traditional vacation fun especially with this kind of trouble." Mac slid his back to a more comfortable position; somehow he knew this was going to be a long ride.

* * *

Daikonran was already halfway through analyzing the girl's marks when a hit surfaced on AFIS. The girl's strangle marks matched one particular suspect; Stuart Otis, escaped Death Row convict. To humor himself and a hunch, Kino compared the other raid victims' crime scene photographs.

_Well, look at that; Horatio is going to enjoy this…_

* * *

Marla knew that if Henderson went bust, she would have to abandon her dollhouse business, which was proving too lucrative to simply toss aside. She came to a more than satisfying solution and she knew whom to turn to. She signaled one of her many loyal yet emotionless servants, her most recent. He had proven himself valuable as Otis' abductor, leaving no evidence behind. The man had also shown to be an excellent shot and most able to handle high-stress situations.

_I need you to off two men over in Miami. You think you can do that? _

The undead never faltered as he responded, "What method do you like?"

* * *

Horatio's cell phone chirped loudly, snapping Mac out from a quick nap. "Jesus Christ, I hate those little bastards." He rambled in his sleep. Horatio didn't bother; the man had been awake through the flight and helped with two interrogations.

"Yes?"

"Horatio, I got a possible location. You remember the Otis file?" Daikonran's voice responded. He seemed very particular in choosing his words, being the doctor he was.

"Second time in the last twenty-four hours I've had to hear that name; better be good." The lieutenant stated as he stopped for a red light.

"All three victims are from his old play grounds. They all had strangling marks whose fingerprints matched his AFIS file." Kino continued, surprising Caine. How could he have forgotten that fact? Then he remembered, he was being held as a pet by a sadistic vampire and the news had not yet reached Louisiana. "What are you going to do?"

Seeing the detective snore besides him, Horatio quickly replied, "Put out a stake-out and surveillance around the area. I want that place scoped by tomorrow in 400 hours."

"I'll notify Frank and the rest of the police department."

* * *

As Daikonran hung up, he heard the terrible cough over the speaker. Horatio managed to spit out perfect drops of blood onto his steering wheel. He felt his lungs swell and collapse, not to mention his heart stir in a dangerous manner. The reaction had become so unexpectedly violent that he had to screech a stop by a sidewalk. Mac woke up just in time to see his partner slowly recover.

"You all right?"

"It's an adverse effect to…" Horatio began, pausing to decide if telling Taylor was right or not, "to an experimental treatment."

"Hmm, take it easy next time, you almost coughed up your heart and then some." the New Yorker said, his eyes looking over the smudged crimson droplets. _Holy water, right?_

After ten minutes of driving across the causeway, the Hummer parked itself along the abandoned home. Some of the markers, left by the cleanup crew way back, now shone with the weathering of time, hurricanes, and sand degradation. Horatio removed the safety of his gun and stepped lightly into what he considered hollow grounds.

* * *

The servant hid cautiously by the side of the wall. His past life still resounded in his mind, the layout fresh and able. His bare feet treaded along the intruders', silently tracking their moves. If his master wanted them dead, then he'd bring their heads for him to display.

What he didn't count was the first officer's bright blue eyes as he carefully opened the door.

_Why do you seem so goddamn familiar? _

* * *

Mac followed suit, his gun glistening with the dim streetlights on either sides of the property. The dust clouded by a stray night wind, this was just a bit too calm. The house fit the general description of dollhouses in New York yet there was no bustle of activity, no real indicator. He went extra careful, nothing seemed right; as if someone was welcoming them into the area…

Alexx was finishing the Thompson case when Secondet came in.

"You okay?"

"Much better, thank you." Secondet responded but his face did not match his statement.

"What's wrong? Everything's as it should be, right?" The medical examiner inquired, trying to understand the angel's expression. The unreadable face left her drawing blanks as the boy prepared for the next body.

* * *

The door creaked open, unleashing a gust of unsettled dust. Horatio walked over to the main living room while Mac headed to the dining area. Even with the night's shade dress shreds littered the floor with tiny specks of gravitational drops.

The servant lined the shot just right, aiming for the redhead's forehead. It would be a clean shot, possibly blowing the man's head with his firepower. The servant suddenly felt something creep up his left leg. Instinctively, he fired two shots to scare the nuisance off…and found himself at the business end of a Beretta.

"Stand up." Horatio ordered, the gun barrel clicking to a new round. The suspect kept his stare to the floor as he followed the order. The darkness shielded his identity but it did nothing to hide the lieutenant's as Mac arrived on the scene.

"Everything all right?" he asked, paying close attention to the suspect.

"He's secured. Does he seem like a provider to you?" Caine replied, his weapon now touching the man's cheek. In that split-second blind spot, the suspect raised his gun and fired twice into the night.

"TAYLOR!"

* * *

Back in New York, Stella was on the last vial of DNA from another case when she saw something peculiar glow in Mac's empty office. Without hesitation, she rummaged his desk's drawers and top. She located the item and realized that something had gone wrong in Miami. The scrap of paper never reacted like this unless…

_Someone just tried to break his contract.

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_

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated 


	9. Deal

_A/N: Thank you for the hits and reviews!_

_This chapter deals with 9/11 so if you no like, turn away. _

_Just to be sure, I'll probably move it to the M category. Any problems or mistakes , notify me!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister_

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9, Deal

Horatio held fast onto Taylor's limp hand, dropping to the spot where he had landed. Two bullets had entered Mac's body, one through-and-through in the stomach and the other into his left eye. The assailant was unconscious as Mac bled profusely on the forgotten ground.

_

* * *

Mac Taylor ran to the scene where two towers now burned. The echoing screams of those trapped and those in terror motivated him to send out a rescue team to the North Tower. He did his best to maintain composure and lead on, but he knew Claire was in that inferno._

_He couldn't remember exactly what he said in that moment but it had to do with getting everyone out before something worse would happen. Right then, the horrible booms of collapsing metal and concrete filled his ears…_

_As the debris storm settled, Taylor rushed to the center. The landmark buildings had disappeared from the skyline, taking his wife with them. In the state of shock however, he still noticed an individual run into the chaos. Mac tried to stop him but he quickly realized that the individual wasn't going into the disaster for all the right reasons. He grabbed his gun, removed the safety feature and followed the being into the now silent quarter._

_After treading in the dangerous site for a while, Mac lost sight of his target and immediately began helping other survivors try to escape. As he helped a woman, the entity snuck up from behind. The female's screams were his only warning before suddenly being ambushed…_

Now he was in a pool of his own blood, Horatio trying to contact any back up. The assailant groaned awake, the sounds fueling the lieutenant's rage. Horatio kicked the man's abdomen, flipping him over with a sickly sound escaping his mouth. Then he grabbed the shirt lapels and lifted his face to the available moonlight. When he saw the man's face, he dropped him, his expression fluctuating between fear and shock…

"Speed?"

The suspect quickly got up and sprinted away, leaving Horatio in the state of complete disclosure.

_

* * *

Mac felt around his face and found the empty socket where the optical organ should be. Somehow, he was missing his left eye, yanked out completely from the rest of his body. The pain then began to overflow his senses; it was unbearable and real. With his right eye, he could see the entity stare and mock him. In its hand, Taylor could see a small white orb with blood covering it; that bastard, whatever it was, had his eye. He could see how it licked and played with it._

_He remembered screaming at the top of his lungs to get it back, only to provoke a laughing fit. He fired his gun and by completely missing the entity, worsened his situation. The creature then devoured the eye in one gulp. In his primal rage, Mac tackled the being to the ground, pinning him to the debris. The wrestle was a blur, all he knew was that he had to get back what he had lost at all costs._

_Next thing Taylor knew, he was in the emergency room of the nearest state hospital. A tall man with straight black hair smiled at him earnestly, holding a file and a clipboard. _

"_How are you feeling, Mr. Taylor?" he asked innocently._

"_Could be better." Mac recognized all of the emergencies in the ER area; they all came from the same place. He had lost Claire, his nation was in a state of panic and now he was blind by one eye._

"_Mr. Taylor, the ER found this in your hand when they finally found you. Now, I don't mean to upset you or anything, given the circumstances, but I may help you with your present condition."_

Mac groaned as he sat up, much to Horatio's surprise. This had to be the second time this had happened to him. He felt around his head, locating the regenerating wound. The stomach healed quite nicely as he stood up and walked over to a mirror.

"Damn, this is going to leave a scar."

"What the hell…" was all Horatio managed to say as he watched Mac poke his wound. "What…are you?"

The detective turned around to see his partner's reaction and momentarily smirked. "Sorry I didn't mention it earlier; it didn't seem relevant to the case."

He looked around and, after not finding the suspect, headed outside. "Come on, you knocked the guy senseless while I were out, he could still be in the area."

* * *

The servant had run away, not to go back to his master, instead in fear. How could the target have known him? All he was allowed to know was his loyalty to Marla and nothing else. Tormenting memories flashed through his eyes; random incidents like dialogues with people he didn't recognize and sentiments he couldn't understand flooded his perception.

_Who the hell am I?!_

* * *

The Hummer sped against the nightly traffic, breaking the 35 miles per hour limits. They had to head over to the Henderson residence before the hours of darkness ran out and the new shipment would arrive.

"Now tell me what the hell are you, because you just proved to me you're nowhere near human." Horatio commanded while making a sharp 45-angle turn into the causeways.

"Let's just say I made a deal I regret way back in 2001." Mac answered, reminiscing about that crucial decision.

* * *

"_The thing you killed over when we found you was…I don't know how to put in a way you can understand, a powerful…" The doctor then finished the question in a very hushed tone. "…demon."_

"_And you think I'll believe that load of shit? I just lost my wife…" Mac snarled at the practitioner, his reply only a sigh._

"_Believe what you will. But the truth is that in the process of you killing him, you forcibly removed its eye and shot him twice in the head. I can help you get your eyesight back with said organ." The doctor explained calmly._

_Taylor paused to think; the eye would become infected if his body refused and he would lose his ability to see completely. On the other hand…_

"_What's the catch? There's always a catch." Mac asked under his breath. _

"_You lose half your humanity."_

* * *

"You gave up your…" Horatio was terrified but he was interrupted with,

"Body. I decided that I'd like to go to heaven when I die."

"Why did you do it?"

Taylor chuckled, "I did for Claire, my wife. But enough about my demon status, we have a renegade zombie assassin and a dollhouse to stop."

For once in the entire case, Horatio Caine finally felt completely informed and capable of handling the situation. He grinned as he floored the accelerator and doubled the car's velocity.

"You gotta love these vacations."

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated


	10. Faithless

_A/N: Thank you for all the reads!! You move me to write!_

_Ok, as with my previous fanfictions, I use that cute li'l red brush liberally but I give it a purpose...understood? Yes, what follows is disturbing and graphic but take in consideration that redemption takes place soon after. _

_Hope you all enjoy!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

_

10, Faithless

Meanwhile, Tammy Henderson was enjoying a reinforced Margarita when a knock hit her door. It was 3: 32 am, it was way too late for any solicitors and she didn't have any dates planned for that evening. She left the drink on a lavishly decorated tripod top and proceeded to greet the visitor.

She was met with dour young eyes and a letter written in cotton paper and sealed with a rubber stamp. Tammy ripped the seal apart and interpreted the contents. Her face paled and her knees became a trembling mess. She quickly slammed the door shut and locked it tight.

The messenger giggled so deceivingly innocently as she drew out a larger butcher knife from her frilly dress. Her lively blonde hair tied in a pretty bow, her chubby face almost as evil as her dispatcher; Henderson screamed in terror as she ran upstairs, only to have the door pile-driven to the floor. The murderous doll grinned as she made her presence known.

"Please! I can still make money!" Tammy tried to bargain, her pleas falling onto deaf ears.

* * *

Their guns armed and their line of vision aligned, the Hummer screeched a halt just outside the residence. Horatio noticed the door on the floor and readied himself; someone had beaten them to Tammy. The ripped wood was consistent with a sharp object meaning whoever it was meant some murderous business.

_Damn…_

As they entered the home, Mac picked up the metallic scent of blood over in a northern direction and treaded to the main staircase. From there, he heard muffled screams come from the eastern bedroom area. He signaled the lieutenant and carefully advanced to the second floor.

Both officers picked the sheen sounds of metal crushing flesh and quickly lay against the walls adjacent to the scene's door. The screams had begun to die down; Tammy was hastily dying while the killer took a surprising stop. Horatio realized the killer's momentary pause; it was about to either leave her to die or to cut her into little pieces.

With no hesitation, Horatio and Mac barged into the room and pointed their guns at the murderer.

* * *

Otis relished in every luxury he never had, everything was at his beck and command. Marla simply watched as the man rested for a while; she was already setting shop for another cemetery raid. And this time, she'd run the dollhouse personally. But in order to do well, expendable heads had to roll.

"I have a job for you to start with, Mr. Otis."

He looked up with an arrogant look in his face. "Not yet, I don't feel like it."

Marla sighed annoyed and in a blink, she held the man by the throat. "Listen to me and listen good; I have to go to a gala right now and I don't have the time to get the next shipment, so you have to dig 'em up. I want them pristine when I come back." Her nails pierced the trachea, causing Stuart to choke on his own spit but he nonetheless nodded in response.

She grinned slightly, Tammy should be out of her way right about that moment, but where was her assassin to be?

* * *

The sight that followed could make most people even CSIs retch as Horatio kicked the door open; entrails strewn on the floor, a leg tossed towards the bathroom, an arm clinging to the bed post and the entire lower part of Tamatha Henderson spread all around her fading body.

Her backbone shone with the dim light as Horatio sped to hold her. Her voice reduced to a whisper, the lieutenant grabbed her remaining hand and held it tight. Taylor, on the other hand, seized the bloody little girl and held her down. She obviously had no remorse; the killer didn't make the least amount of struggle. Their only witness lay helpless but could still talk, even if it was fragmented.

"Mrs. Henderson, who would do this to you?" Horatio managed to ask without looking at the missing limbs. Even if she was selling dead little girls, she was still a human and deserved a better end than being ripped into shreds.

Tammy grunted, or tried to, "My boss…she said that I'd be the biggest madam in the history of Florida…"

Blood tears lined her eyes as she strengthened her leftover hand's grip as she continued, "She's a bitch that's what she is…" A wet cough and her life practically slipped from her grasp just her hand escaped from Horatio's grasp. In that moment of delusion, she said with her dying breath,

"My, what bright wings, lieutenant…would you forgive me for my sins?"

Mac overheard the peculiar death wish and disproved it as delirium as he neutralized the little girl that convulsed violently, her imminent capture setting in. But what surprised the New Yorker even more (and that's saying much) was Horatio's subsequent reaction as he placed her hand on her chest. The lieutenant closed the victim's eyes and laid her to rest in peace, or, in this case pieces. It was almost like…atonement.

_I can't do anything for you except a proper burial and catch the person who did this to you…_

"I'm the last person she should've asked for that." Horatio muttered as he headed towards the girl. Surprise, surprise; it was one of Otis' victims.

"Ruthy, who sent you?" His cold voice was replied with a childish snarl. Her golden curls beseeched a more innocent event but both had seen the girl dismember the victim and concurred on a more austere treatment. The little zombie wriggled around, trying to escape Mac's grip.

She hissed at her captor only to receive a push to the ground. "You think I'll tell you? You're just another human just waiting to die." Ruthy scrounged before turning her attention to Taylor. "And you're a pathetic excuse of a demon."

Horatio knelt before the girl, "I can probably guess that you came from a local provider." He then noticed streams of watered make up around Ruthy's eyes. "Have you been crying?"

The girl's hated expression fleetingly softened; it was a given fact that the undead don't cry for many a reason. "I didn't ask to come back."

"Let me guess; whoever brought you back promised you'd go back to your mother." Taylor suggested just to get a sarcastic chide as a response. "I'm not telling you."

* * *

Daikonran had kept a close watch on Tyler, observing his behavior. He didn't know how a transaction took place but normally a go-between was common ground for the madam, the reanimator and the client. St. Lucia's Inn was exactly that, and Delko did recover those fingerprints…time to have a chat with Mr. Perry.

* * *

Eric was already imputing the last of the evidence file when his own database searched beeped positive. One of the prints were of course Perry's but the search yielded a new player and Felicity's most recent possible client: Ferrer Glencoe, head private accountant to Walter Thompson of Thompson Steel Refineries._

* * *

Wait…what the…no way. The surprise paid off as the paternal links connected to the little victim lying over at Alexx's post._

"Tyler, we can make this whole thing a lot easier if you just told us the truth." Daikonran grinned, the cross clearly visible.

"I call police brutality! You're using my disease as a way of torturing information from me!" Perry yelled, hoping for a reaction but to no avail. Kino's smile was from ear to ear as he sat down.

"You have two things against you: one, you're dead. Two, you held information from a murder investigation. I just need one more strike and this baby ends up pinned to that space that used to be your heart." The former bounty hunter stated rather humorously. Perry knew better to cross a provider but…

"The reanimator who does our jobs lives over in the Hispanic district. Doña Socoro…" the faltered response was the last straw in his defense. "She's from Costa Rica!"

Daikonran signaled Ryan to follow the lead. Dawn would break in a couple of hours and the news of both Otis' escape and the Coco Beach dollhouse would become headline news. At least half of all the loose ends had to be tied up before Erika Sykes greeting the general population of Miami with her own brand of twisted journalism.

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreciated


	11. Touch

_A/N: Thank you for the reads!!_

_I like playing with Speed's emotions here..._

_This one is shorter than the rest because it was very spontaneous_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

_

11, Touch

The servant huddled along the trash dumps of the iconic Miami plaza. The area was void of all human interaction except for some wanderer or homeless person. The name "Speed", uttered by the primary target, had dealt a blow to his stability. Most who come back without consent don't have a clue of who they are and he was no exception. All he remembered as he opened his eyes to a surgical table was that he was there to serve and sacrifice for the woman named Marla.

He wasn't even aware of his untimely death until he spotted a hole just above his heart. It was a regular caliber, a common revolver, a woman named Calleigh would've told him that. The headache that immediately swept over him caused the servant to cringe and moan; one minute he was stable enough to carry out a simple command like murder and the next, he was thrust into a conscience of a dead man._ All because of that damned target…_

The voices in his mind screamed like bloody murder, every one physically resonating with the man's as he grabbed his head in desperation. The voices that never shut up; try as he might, try as he tried to shoot himself. But just as he picked up the weapon, he found his hands covered in dripping crimson. He quickly dropped it and tried to wipe his hands clean. No, he'd never get them clean enough; he had spilled too much a good thing to come off clean! He screamed to try and null the vociferous sounds in his head.

_Stop calling me Speed! I'm not that man anymore! _

* * *

Horatio's own focus was damaged; he had seen reanimated corpses before, rotting in fact, but seeing a face he knew had proven a bit too much. He had not given Tamatha's last words any priority, unlike his partner. The man, the CSI, the soul that was Timothy Speedle was now his prime suspect in the Otis escape…and in his attempted assassination.

An even more depressing thought entered his mind, remembering a fact once told by Kino and further corroborated by his own experience in New Orleans.

_Speed…how long did you have to wander this earth before this happened?_

Mac held down the little girl as best as he could, realizing what they now had to do.

"You can't do it, can you?" Ruthy asked rather smugly. "You can't simply put the gun and get it over with, can you?"

A click of a gun barrel and she had to eat her words. Horatio's expression was lacking of emotion or sympathy for the girl. Whoever it was, this wasn't the girl he had met in the worst possible circumstances. "Ruthy, how long ago were you brought back?"

"Two years." She responded. There was nothing left that sweet girl and Caine took comfort in that fact as his gun never wavered in its position. "You think you have the right to pass judgment on me?"

The Beretta still stared down on her as Horatio replied, "I don't. So that's why I want you to go directly to your provider and tell him to stop production. I'll make sure of that."

With a signal, Mac released the girl from his grip and watched her sprint away into the darkness. "I take it you have something planned."

"Killing her would've hurt our chances anyway." The familiar chirp of the lieutenant's cell phone interrupted him. He answered as Taylor listened attentively.

"It's Kino. We have a reanimator, courtesy of Perry. Ryan and I are heading over there before the TV stations catch wind of Stuart's escape." The younger voice replied, the background noise being one of a humming car engine and the sum of its parts.

Horatio looked down to Tammy, her tan salon color now dissipating by classic drain of blood. "Keep me posted."

* * *

After a while of negotiating due in part by Calleigh's alluring voice, both she and Eric managed to contact Ferrer Glencoe and even more to come down at the extraordinary hour of 4:03 am. The adrenaline kept them from falling asleep; everyone in either case had a deadline and that deadline closed at 5:45 am sharp.

Ferrer was a small but burly man compared to Delko as he entered the interrogation room. By the look of his silk suit and matching clothes, he looked more like a lawyer than an accountant. Nonetheless, Calleigh welcomed him to sit. In her hands, she presented a photocopied document to the man.

"We've looked at your recent credit card activity and there seems to be a large withdrawal of money made just over five days ago." She explained, summoning Glencoe's rage.

"You take me out of my sleep for this?! This is unacceptable!"

"The money was used in an illicit service provided by Tamatha Henderson that you were recommended by. This would've been your prize had you not killed her." Eric elaborated as he showed the autopsy photos. The man's color drained in that moment, the jig was up.

"I did buy her…but I didn't kill her."

Calleigh looked perplexed but Delko continued on, "It's also come to the attention that the victim is also your boss' daughter, who was victim number 2 back in the Stuart Otis killing spree."

Ferrer's expression became that of political terror; he knew what the CSIs were getting at but it wasn't like the way they thought. Problem was that he just didn't know how to tell them.

"Please understand this is a delicate matter…I will write a statement."

* * *

As much as Kino wanted Tyler to shut up in the back of the Hummer, he knew hurting a material witness was very much against the law. Ryan drove around like a maniac, trying to find the location of Doña Socorro before the news crews gathered back at the Crime Lab. Tyler, though tightly restraint in straight jacket, suddenly pointed to a small house just outside the 3rd block radius. Everything suddenly became full circle as Wolfe stopped the car and stepped off lightly. Daikonran quickly dragged Perry outside and tossed him to the side.

"You stay here." He ordered as he pinned Tyler's straightjacket with the cross he was carrying around. There was indeed some activity just beyond the white picket fence and for some reason; both suspected the woman wasn't alone in her work.

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are appreciated 


	12. Materialism

_A/N: Thank you for all the reads!_

_Sorry I took so long! Work piled up xD_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

_

12, Materialism

There wasn't a single firework in the entire ritual, quite contrary to what Hollywood portrayed. Inside Ryan was disappointed but beggars can't be choosers as their last raid of that night started abruptly. Heading to the cramped backyard, the scent of flesh decomposing permeated provided by the headless chickens strewn all over the floor.

It was a common sacrifice in the reanimation ritual, the older the corpse the bigger the animal. Daikonran and Sheldon Hawkes back in New York had both shared in the misfortune of watching a man die to bring back a Renaissance man. From this he deduced that the victim had to be recent for just a couple of chickens.

In Ryan's breast pocket was a list of every victim Otis ever laid his hands on, those crossed out in pen were listed as Tammy's merchandise. The ones in green highlighter were those who were missing from their last resting place. Only one crossed the geographic boundaries over in the Hispanic cemetery, Consuelo Mercadez. The parallels between the little girl and his own daughter were more than enough reason for Kino to look for the premises.

"You sure you can take it?" the former bounty hunter smirked. "Whoever this Doña Socorro is, she knows we're on to her."

Ryan responded sarcastically before announcing the department's presence, "I've always dreamed of living out a Romero film."

"Lovely."

* * *

The Hummer raced against the rising Miami sun, Taylor holding tight to the precious handle bars for dear life. Horatio's erratic driving had a purpose, to spot the servant that attempted their assassination. No matter if it had been Speed, Marisol or Mother Theresa of Calcutta that had done it, Caine had to catch him and prosecute him for a federal offense. Screw that, he thought; it was still Speed. And by the look on his dead eyes, the lieutenant could tell that he wasn't acting on his free will.

The ride hastily made a stop to the main plaza. Both got out, and headed for the center.

"You're a demon, right?" Horatio asked under his breath. He kept a lookout, it was still slightly dark enough to get ambushed by just about anything up to this point; humans, zombies, vamps or lycanthropes could simply pick them bone clean since they stuck out like targets.

"Partially but why?" Mac responded, still a bit confounded on how a Hummer that size could lift off two feet in the air and still land perfectly on the causeway.

"Then you must be able to pick out the dead from the living."

Untold words were traded and Mac understood. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. In his mind, preternatural receptors switched on and a rather fuzzy image came into Taylor's mind. He reopened his eyes, now a sickly amber gold color with his irises tinted red; all those who had their own heartbeats were dyed in a shocking pink whilst those who were dearly departed were of a green variety. Horatio simply observed as the Yankee picked out the undead from the blooming morning rush while the commuters and the transportation buses arrived.

"We got ten of the undead here. And a couple more on the C bus over there. Anyone could be the suspect." Mac calculatingly stated, pointing said vehicle, his eyes darting to each of the marked individuals.

"But only one can have GSR, now does he?"

* * *

Frank entered the building just to be met with an exhausted Calleigh Duquesne. She was just about to rest while Delko obtained Glencoe's statement.

"Well you look like shit." Tripp chided humorously.

"You try tracking down a necrophile at 4 am. We got whoever bought the victim last. Found out she had an extensive clientele list." The ballistics expert sighed relieved that they were just minutes away from closing the case. The cafeteria television flipped on with the traditional morning news jingle.

"We'll be on the morning news today." Frank recalled, the magnitude of the escape setting in on the blossoming lights of the South Florida sky.

"And Erica Sykes will be outside, expecting a full story." Calleigh added, rubbing her forehead. "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

With the last strokes of the pen, Ferrer Glencoe signed his written confession to a sleep-deprived Eric Delko. As normal CSI procedure, he went on to read for any inconsistencies. And did he ever find one when he got to the first few sentences.

"…Do you understand now?" the accountant asked shamefully. Eric looked at the man with a flabbergasted stare and continued to read on.

"You bought her to gain your boss's confidence?!"

Glencoe exhaled profoundly and peered to the outside. "Felicity was taken way too soon and he wanted to repent for the time lost." He spotted Delko's confusion and sat up straight. He knew he was about to bring down Felicity's father and the company's reputation but those missing dollars were bound to wreak havoc.

* * *

Just as Horatio suspected, out of the seventeen zombies in the plaza area, only one had fresh gunshot residue all over him, in Mac's eyes, tinting him with fluorescent blue spots. Out of spite, the target was hidden behind a distanced dumpster, alongside some homeless people.

When they arrived at the spot, Mac could tell why the suspect had chosen the spot as the putrid smells burned the air. The suspect, acting on pure instinct, grabbed one of the dead men's whiskeys and smashed it cleanly on the metal box. He then held it up in a defensive stance, Mac's gun hovering over his head.

"Drop the bottle and you can go back to being worm food." Taylor growled, his eerie eyes looking down upon the frightened creature.

* * *

Daikonran and Ryan stormed into the residence to be met with a most decayed welcoming committee; adult bodies strewn to dry like meat, parts scattered and held like hams and worst of all, discarded doll attempts littered the ground. Kino could estimate roughly eight girls had been used in the macabre experiment.

Ryan, on the other hand, was barren of all common sense; this was a scene that he could scarcely comprehend. He sprinted to the backyard, to either apprehend the reanimator or to escape the sights now etched into his mind. Without much direction, Wolfe found himself in the main hall, just as the reanimator concluded the ritual.

Ryan landed flat on his ass; the thing lying on the floor was staring back. His fear bounced vainly against the ravenous hunger as the makeshift human seized his leg bone and dragged him towards its mouth.

_Holy shit…_

He unloaded his gun on the crude individual and in a split moment, slipped out of its starving embrace. His victory was short-lived; the reanimator spontaneously grabbed him by the scalp and placed a knife to his throat. Daikonran had heard the shots and confronted the madam. One glimpse into her mind and Kino perceived a woman just trying to earn an honest living; granted raising the dead was an unorthodox way to go at it.

"_¿Usted es un federal?_" she asked frantically, the blade now razing the crime scene investigator's windpipe.

"_No, pero por favor suelte a mi compañero._"

* * *

Glencoe's eyes never left the floor as he proceeded to tell his story.

"You see, the day Felicity was murdered, she wasn't with her mother. She was with her nanny."

Delko remembered that intimate fact; the nanny got the full brunt of the punishment for neglectful childcare. "I take it that Felicity never had a father figure."

"Her parents were so disconsolate and resentful of losing their only daughter. The mother committed suicide shortly after you guys discovered the body with the others, hung herself. The father had to stick around, he had to carry on the company." The accountant added, his depression evident. "They blamed each other for not being there…"

"And how did you know about Tammy's services?"

A sarcastic smirk slipped out as Ferrer continued, "Head of Banking, the geriatric bastard mentioned her and how his young date was the best thing that ever happened. We were losing so many profitable offers so I decided to contact Mrs. Henderson."

There was a look in Ferrer's eyes, a foreboding look that made him appear prepared for whatever Eric spat out next. "Mr. Glencoe, you participated in an illicit service. You thought there weren't going to be consequences?"

"She seemed so lifelike, she didn't look like she had been dead for more than three years. Her father was in high spirits; playing with her, caring for her. " the accountant continued, his gaze melancholic. "He wasn't about to let go of her. He followed her routes, tracked her clients, the works."

Eric then pieced together what he assumed actually happened in the St. Lucia Inn just three days prior;

_Mr. Glencoe probably announced to Mr. Thompson that his contract with Felicity was almost over. After a couple of weeks of stalking his daughter, Mr. Thompson took a chance and followed her to the inn in the dead of night. _

"When does Mr. Thompson come to work?" Delko inquired, his head heavy from lack of sleep and exhaustion.

"Seven A.M.. Please go easy on him; he's still a grieving father."

* * *

Horatio placed his left hand on Taylor's gun, stopping the firing mechanism. He then extended his remaining hand to the trembling undead. His blue eyes spoke a thousand words as his offer of a peaceful retreat set into Speedle's mind.

"Speed, we can do this the easy way. We can catch who did this to you."

The uncertainty was evident as the servant wavered in his stance. After a moment of silence, Speed's voice quivered,

"Can you?"

The subsequent smile in Horatio's expression released a floodgate of memoirs while he replied,

"I'll try."

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are always appreacited 


	13. Song

_A/N: I AM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, School is a byotch_

Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

13, Song

Despite the CSI intrusion's inconvenience, Stuart's murderous hands held a precious corpse. He cradled what was once an unrelated victim of domestic abuse, a Lillian Watson, her dress wispy against the morning breeze. His first meal ticket under Marla Ruez and Otis had the inordinate desire to play his sadistic game. She looked like an aged wicker doll, twiggy hands and straw hair included. The dark decomposition depressions around its face had yet to recover from the ritual but it didn't matter to the pedophile, it had been too long since his last exhilarant kill high.

Two shots rang spot on, alarming Stuart out of his sociopathic trance; something had gone down between the santera and the crime scene investigators. He quickly regained composure and proceeded to escape through the broken down shed just out of reach. The little girl's hands dangled limp as Otis managed to barely elude the investigators; Marla would be infuriated to know he only got one of the four girls he was supposed to get.

* * *

Doña Socorro screamed at the top of her lungs as she reacted to the bullets striking the nearby tree; the projectile flew so close to her cheekbones that she had brunt skin along the trail. She released Ryan from her potentially lethal hold and dropped to the floor. Kino immediately scooped up the woman and handcuffed her as fast as he could while Ryan choked some breaths into his lungs.

"Doña Socorro; you are hereby guilty of desecration of hollow grounds decreed by the Tanzler clause in the city of Miami Florida. You are also in gross violation of the Loraine law in the Eastern States of the United States of America." Daikonran recited almost perfectly as the CSI called for back up. Just a few minutes later as the sun shone splendidly, it greeted Ryan's bewildered face.

"Tanzler clause? Loraine Law? I've never heard of those."

The young man simply smiled, "Just you wait until you search a real santera."

* * *

Mac growled, he disliked Speedle's scent; it reminded him too much of carnage. But he couldn't help feel pity for the shaking mess that was once his would-be assassin. Horatio helped the reanimated corpse jump onto the back of his Hummer and made sure he was secure. The light hit the automobile in a way that it seemed surreal; the morning traffic was in full-blown mode.

"I'd best get you to a bed; you've been up almost 50 hours." The lieutenant offered to his Yankee counterpart; demon or not, one must sleep. He was replied with a shrouded moan; Taylor's receding claws gleaming as he returned to his more human side. For a split second, Mac could almost swear he heard a loud flap just besides him.

"_How did it feel?" a female voice asked Taylor as he removed the last of the bandages from his recently operated eye. Stella's curiosity matched that of a kitten's with it's first mouse, unsure but discreetly eager. She held her breath as the golden hues dissipated to Mac's usual bluish-green color._

"_How does what feel?"_

"_Not being human anymore…"_

* * *

"The Tanzler clause is basically 'thou shalt not steal a corpse from its last resting place'. It mostly applies to behavior deviants in which the deceased are involved. This includes Felicity's case in the sense that the victim party had no consent to be returned." The former bounty hunter explained as he covered Tyler before the sun would hit him and reduce him to a pile of ash.

"And the Loraine law?"

A sigh slipped from Daikonran's mouth, this one was a bit more complex. "The trick is that the Loraine Law and the Tanzler clause are eerily similar except one thing; the Loraine law is in favor of the undead who experience rational thought. Had this idiot claimed it, his testimony would've been inadmissible in a court of law because we would be tampering with testimony."

Ryan scratched his head, slightly confused. "And here I thought we only had laws against pillaging."

* * *

Otis rushed under the nearby bridge. The flat terrain was working against his bulkier frame plus the added weight of the little dead girl in his hands. If by what Miss Ruez had clearly demonstrated in chokehold rang true, he'd be in serious trouble. The small creature stirred a bit, her proverbial sleep was wearing off, meaning it was time to drop her off at the St. Lucia. Countless times did Marla ingrain to Stuart's mind that the motel was the center for her dollhouse business; it was the drop-off for the santeras as well as their merchandise, the exchange between the go-between and client and the return post for all profits.

In his desperation, Stuart almost did not perceive the ongoing investigation in said inn. Heading the processing was a slightly ticked Detective Frank Tripp. Calleigh had asked him to make that short stop before picking up Walter Thompson over at the accounting division of Thompson Steel Refineries. Up to where he knew, this case was as distorted as Kino's logic; there was everything from undead girls roaming around, prostitution, and good wholesome gore.

_Why can't this freaky crap stay in the movies?_

Frank never lived down the fact that Horatio had been abducted under his jurisdiction, even more when a sociopath had included in his patterns. The lieutenant accepted his apologies without hesitation, almost blaming himself for not being careful enough. But the image of Horatio tied down with syringes, intravenous tubing and laid bare in blood proved traumatizing to both him and his team. He wasn't going to let this case slip away; so after getting the updated report on the crime scene, he hopped on his car and sped to Miami's business district.

When he arrived, the Grant building stood similar to all the other big-firm buildings it faced in all cardinal direction. The steel refinery held its own in the 12th floor, forcing the detective to ride two elevators and a labyrinth of desk shades. Frank finally found Mr. Thompson in a glass office that overlooked the greater part of the city. The back of his chair chillingly faced the detective as he announced his presence. Said seat turned with a grin on his face and a falsely welcoming tone spoke;

"Hello, detective. How may I help you?"

_Something ain't right._

* * *

Back up took Doña Socorro back to the building but now the remaining CSI had the task of cleaning up and cataloging the remains of whatever the woman was creating. Ryan shuddered at the thought that reanimation was a real possibility and pictured himself walking mindlessly. He took out his Nikon camera and proceeded to capture the anteroom and the living room.

Kino trusted his instincts and went ahead towards the backyard with a camera, a few pointers and a shovel. He marked a 12 x 12 square quadrant and began to dig; he had done a bounty in Pennsylvania in which the suspect buried himself alive just to avoid capture. Nothing to lose by giving the trick a shot. The Florida sun shone brightly 6: 30 am, Erica Sykes would go in syndication in 5…4…3…2…1…

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A/N: Reviews are welcomed


	14. Yesterday

_A/N: Almost done! Hope you guys like!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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14, Yesterday

_This guy thinks he's a smooth operator…_Frank thought almost immediately as Walter Thompson stood up to shake his hand. _No one's this calm when his or her kids are involved… _Even the handshake was too confident, too warm for what should be a disastrous economic expense. From both Calleigh and Delko's investigations and background checks, Mr. Thompson had spent more than 0.5 percent or a good $500, 000 a day on an illicit service through Ferrer Glencoe in order to find his beloved (but very dead) daughter, Felicity. _How the hell do you explain that to the IRS?_

"Mr. Tripp, is it? I'm always open to Miami's finest." Walter acknowledged, plastic smile still present on his mug.

"That's mighty generous of you but I'm actually on an…investigation" Frank hesitated to state the nature of the case. _Ok, is this homicide, prostitution or grave robbing? _

"Oh? Has there been an altercation? We've had plenty of those lately." Mr. Thompson inquired. He kept full eye contact with Frank, never missing a beat. A small twitch and the detective grinned. _Gotcha._

"We have reason to believe you've been soliciting a prostituting service from a Mrs. Tamatha Henderson. We also have evidence over at the lab that puts you in immediate contact of a homicide."

Walter stifled a chuckle as he redirected the conversation. "I'm sorry but I handle metal, not whores."

Frank leaned forward, his face almost sly as Horatio's whenever he had the crucial mistake. "Funny you should call your daughter that, seeing as it's her corpse we're processing." A quick search into a folder and the detective pulled out a picture of the girl. Mr. Thompson's face suddenly dropped to the floor. But even through the staggering appearance of a grief-stricken father, it still didn't add up. _Still too calm…_

* * *

Speed didn't remember the last time he felt so familiar with his surroundings as the Hummer traveled across the causeway back to the lab. He could almost feel tears swell up in his eyes had he been alive; he felt at home. But he couldn't face the driver and his passenger; he knew he had done something horrible to get the cold shoulder.

He looked up to stare at a filial smile; Horatio's blue eyes were reassuring him that he was in better hands than Marla's. Those blue eyes promised a meaning in his wondering life; a real bed to sleep in instead of a cadaver closet, guidance, and care.

"Am I going to die again?" Tim asked, terrified of his answer. Mac had threatened to turn him back to worm food and he understood his rage; no one likes a bullet in his or her body. Horatio kept a quiet watch on the road just as a red light came up. He turned around and replied,

"Do you want to?"

Speed remained silent until the next stop light. With a shaky voice he replied,

"Just as long as I never go back into storage."

The lieutenant's smile softened; he could comprehend Speed's claustrophobia for he too had been held in "storage".

"Deal."

* * *

Calleigh collapsed on the lunchroom sofa, a good distance from her post and just perfect to simply sleep the day's troubles away. Delko had gone off to buy breakfast while she finished up the reports. The news began with the report on Tammy's death, with obvious censorship over the woman's entrails. Erica flourished in controversy and Calleigh knew for a fact that a human being ripped apart was a great way to start her daily routine.

_Here's to hoping you don't get those white stilettos dirty…_

Duquesne envied Natalia Boa Vista for she had CSI training that day. How that woman never caught a preternatural case like this was beyond the southern beauty's perception. _I still prefer prying out a bullet out of some creepy-crawly than being stuck in a lab any day._ She grinned at the thought.

"They ran out of grits so I got you ham and eggs." Eric welcomed himself to the room, handing the female specialist a brown paper bag. She shrugged and took out the sandwich.

"Or could be that a certain someone thinks that he can do as he pleases with my stomach?"

Eric's candid laugh lit up the room, "Ryan practically pleaded you eat some meat. He wants to know if you find any body fragments on the bologna."

"He can't live down the fact that I scared him with the serial killer story." Calleigh concluded as she turned up the volume. As always, Sykes added shock value to the findings, almost threatening to unveil the body bag if given the chance.

"Hard to believe it, we're almost done with the Thompson case." Duquesne sighed. Delko inclined his head back, relaxing the tense neck muscles. "Then we can focus back on the Otis escape."

The recognizable screech of two Hummers arriving was simply perfect.

"Well, let's see what's behind door number 1."

* * *

Daikonran and Ryan were both holding two black bags that made sickening squishing noises. During the trip back home, Kino made sure that their material witness, Tyler Perry noted bloodsucker, was kept out of the sunlight.

Wolfe, on the other hand, was assuring himself that none of the body parts they had collected came back to life. _I've been this close to being zombie chow twice and I'm not to run my luck on attempt number 3._

But both enjoyed the fact that they could drag the vampire all the way into the holding cells.

Before they parted ways, Ryan stated as he lifted his bags, "I'm going to take these to DNA, there might be more than three corpses in the whole thing."

"You put names on the bodies whilst I go and corroborate Perry's involvement." Kino clarified, grinning evilly at the sarcastic vamp.

"Make sure I get a swing at him; taking H's blood for granted is as low as he can get."

* * *

Just before entering the crime lab, Horatio decided to go in the back entrance, as to not cause a commotion for when Speed entered the building. Two and a half years and people could still remember a CSI's face. He handed his suit jacket and placed it over the man's head.

"Do people know me here?"

Horatio stopped a laugh as he and Mac led him in through the main lobby's lunchroom. The tissue around Mac's left ear had fully reconstructed itself, unapologetically dripping cranial liquids onto the passenger side. The trio then followed Horatio to his office, trying their best not to bring attention to themselves. Every step brought back a memory in Speed's mind

Mac parted ways on the second floor when he spotted Kino going along his merry way. For some reason, his ears were suddenly buzzing with white noise and his eyes played tricks on him. Kino had done the transplant operation so he'd surely have a good explanation why his demon senses were now on the fritz. Of course, he needed a good excuse.

"I'm going to report in about what happened with Ruthy; better now than to face a pissed-off doctor."

"Sound choice, reduces the chances of having a surgical scalpel stabbed into your stomach." Horatio joked while accommodating the former CSI. Taylor saw a subtle change in the lieutenant; a greater weight was lifted from him. As the story went, Speedle died with Horatio at his side in the line of duty, unable to help him. Horatio's devotion to his team was legendary, just like Mac's; more than once did he have to show _that_ side to Messer and Stella and allowed them an escape while he devoured the attacker. Human flesh made him sick to the bone, though.

"The weather broadcast today for the Miami-DADE area is of light to moderate rainfall, so those heading out for the beach better pack some rain gear!" the cheery weather reporter exclaimed as both Calleigh and Delko stood up from the sofa and headed for their post. The day started so deceivingly sunny that a good impression was that the case would work out.

Wishful thinking could never be as wrong as that day.

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A/N: Reviews are always welcome! 


	15. Revulsion

_A/N: Thank you for the reads!_

_The third installment is on the way and research is being done as this settles._

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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15, Revulsion

Horatio's thoughts wondered momentarily, his mind's eye recreating how Tim Speedle would have been reanimated. This trembling mess was once the cocky crime scene investigator and this tore the lieutenant apart. What sort of trauma must have gone through to completely destroy that personality, to crush that soul?

_Funny, now why would Speed be any different than a zombie guerrilla? He's probably been brought back the same way…_

But one look and Horatio got his answer; he just knew that Speed's soul was there. As much as he wanted to help, Caine knew that it was CSI time, time to process the evidence and prosecute the guilty.

"Speed, I know that you assisted in Stuart Otis' escape during his execution." The soft voice had no resentment, but there was a building rage.

The undead simply nodded. He obediently extended his hands in order to examine for GSR. Horatio took out a swab and carefully rubbed it against every ridge. He then dripped a solution onto the cotton and confirmed the presence of gunshot residue.

"I'm not going to ask who sent you yet, so don't worry about that. What I do need to know is…" Speed's head jerked, paying attention to what Horatio said next. "How did you do it and why Stuart Otis."

"I wish I could help but my master never discussed those reasons with the help. All I was told was to learn the area layout and whom I was to abduct." Speedle responded, his face looking the floor. "All I know is that she's into marketing the girls as the 'safest extramarital sex'. She said it would fly off the market."

"Is there anything you can remember about your master's appearance?"

Speed scratched his head before answering,

"Not really, just one bright green eye. Her face was disfigured though, like acid burns or something."

Horatio couldn't help release a sarcastic chuckle; he recognized that incident even through the linen that covered his former coffin.

_The sex-sells M.O., physical abuse to anything conceivably human, and the holy water burns upon her only marketing tool…Marla, you sweet bitch._

* * *

Marla Ruez herself didn't find a single investor for her business in the gala she had been invited. Men weren't too keen on her deformed face so no money had been pulled in. She cursed Horatio infinitely for it and hoped he died a slow and painful death. Yet, he was still the object of her lust and it didn't matter. She didn't mind her missing assassin and how he yet to report, if she knew that red-haired bastard, Speedle would be back in his crypt and another would take his place.

Just as she was about to enter her limousine and avoid sunlight, Marla spotted someone running towards her direction. Her eyebrows raised, she distinguished the little girl as Ruthy, one she had sent to eliminate Tammy Henderson.

"I take it she's dead?"

Ruthy's eyes were drenched with water, making her gale all the more piercing. Marla found the dead girl's attempts at crying laughable and never missed a chance to add insult to injury.

"Did you try to cry again?"

"Horatio said I could cry when I wanted to." Ruthy replied. The seductress saw through her lie and made an annoyed expression.

"Horatio knows shit, all right? Now, where did you get that name?"

Ruthy tried to stand her ground but Marla simply unnerved her. "He and some demon caught me. He told me that you should stop production."

Now it was Marla's turn to glare. "Did he now? And you let yourself be captured?"

Ruthy's reply was as innocent as she once was in life. "He looked like he was a nice person. He was…" A quick flash of stainless steel and the girl fell lifeless to the floor. Marla's hand dripped aged crimson as her expression changed from rage to subtle malice.

"I've seen serial killers with faces like angels and you don't see me trusting them, now do I?" the monster never did tolerate disappointment and Ruthy had failed miserably.

_When Speedle comes back, he'll be in that morgue closet so long he'll forget what sunshine looked like._

* * *

Daikonran was more than eager to interview Tyler Perry. He had been raised both British and Japanese, common denominators being honor and sadism. He took out the cross he had used before, a syringe dripping with holy water and a couple of other things that made Taylor's approaching walk much more cautious; time for a real interview with a vampire.

_Maybe this isn't a good time…_Mac thought as he spun around, followed Horatio's advice and phoned a nearby hotel. Kino's soft steps almost went unperceived until Tyler picked up his particular smell.

"That's two strikes against you, love."

"I don't see it that way. And besides, all I did was direct you to Doña Socorro's place." The vampire replied matter-of-factly. "You're still worm food."

"Tell me what happened that night and if you're telling me another lie…" Daikonran liberated some of the aqueous solution to the floor. Tyler gulped air rather heavily; he had no choice but come clean.

"I was waitin' for Felicity to come back from her rounds. Zombies are obedient as hell but as responsive as a rock. She didn't even know that she was followed by some dude, heavyset, Caucasian, slightly balding. He was pissed; I could tell by the way the blood pumped. When I took Felicity's hand to tow her to storage, that guy tackled me to the stair set. I nearly fell into that frickin' hole and passed out. All I could hear was the girl screaming and the man screaming back. After a couple of minutes, I heard silence. I came to, and when I saw that the coast was clear, I ran like a bat out of hell."

"Cute comparison. Anything else you can remember about the perp?" Kino asked. He saw in those immortal eyes that Perry was finally telling the whole truth.

"He was wearing some grade-A shit; hand-tailored an all."

* * *

Ryan had one advantage over Kino; his obsessive-compulsive disorder made him see patterns and strains that no one else picked up, which came in handy when he set all the body parts on the fluorescent table. It was a macabre version of a jigsaw puzzle: one part here, another part there. By the initial prognosis, there were three adults and no known children. He tried thinking like a santera, which turned out to be harder than just bringing hell upon the unfaithful. No, he had to think…like a businessman.

_Okay, I'm trying to reanimate children so I shouldn't be finding any limbs like that. Why? Because they're the final product. Older corpses means bigger sacrifices or so Kino tells me…but what use is a centuries-old kid in these times?_

Much of the evidence he collected had peculiar wounds, postmortem, and then some. Alexx herself would have trouble picking out what was once a finger and a toe. Ryan closed his eyes and his mind clicked…

_Don't think like the living…think like the dead. _

* * *

Alexx had mastered the art of speaking to the dearly departed and her heart went out the team. Her hands cupped Felicity's face and her guard softened.

"You're in good hands now, no more selling yourself." She thought out loud. As she prepped her table for the next post, a bright paper caught her attention. Secondet had just left to care for his children and apparently forgot to properly discard the item.

_I've told him so many times to keep a clean workplace!_

She picked it up and unconsciously scanned it. Some medications were prescribed among other things but what caught the medical examiner's attention was the name and what followed next.

_Patient Horatio Caine has shown positive response in the treatment. The spread of vampirism has been reduced to 5 percent of his overall body. He has also shown a positive outlook, which doubles recovery rate. What worries me is the adverse side effects that the procedure has provoked on said individual._

_By week 5, most patients stop the internal hemorrhage and by week 7 they lead normal lives. Horatio Caine has experienced multiple counts of convulsions and the expulsion of blood via the mouth. This has led me to believe that Mr. Caine may have more than one ailment, and requires further study._

Alexx collapsed on a chair in shock. Horatio was one not to tell if he was sick but even he had his limits. She berated herself for being so oblivious; she thought those red spots were from a homicide he had handled before he came to her post. But most of all, she was mad at the lieutenant. Why would he keep something as serious as that from his team?

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A/N: Reviews are welcomed!


	16. Lethargy

_A/N: Almost done and I hope it is as satisfying as I thought it out._

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister_

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16, Lethargy

As soon as Kino finished his interview, Mac rushed to talk to him. Apparently the intimidation tactics worked like a charm due to the unused syringe and the lack of projectile ash on his clothes. Taylor called out his name, catching Kino's attention.

"What can I do for New York's finest pain in the ass?"

"Now, now; why the hostility?" Mac studied his former coworker. Daikonran was strained almost to the breaking point, and now he had to report to the chief of medicine over at DADE Memorial.

"I have a ten-year-old waiting with her baby brother in her arms for me over at reception; make it quick." Kino was referring to his youngest children with Secondet, Lambda and Ciél Kino. Using his doctor money, he managed to get them both into the Conservatory of Musical Arts in Miami to hone their musical talents. Horatio never missed every time the girl practiced over on the lobby; the way she sang her vocals as her baby brother followed the tunes with chirps put his tense nerves at rest.

Mac then retold his experience with the lieutenant during the Henderson investigation; Daikonran's curiosity peaked.

"And you say the buzzing began after you found Speedle?"

"No, that was the loud flap; the buzzing began when we arrived here. Then there's Tammy's request." The detective replied, scratching his head. "And I'm positive it wasn't because of the bullet."

"I'll try to find out what's wrong, you just show up over at DADE Memorial, suite 501." Daikonran then headed to Wolfe's post, hoping for a full identification on the body parts they had found in Doña Socorro's place. Placing a lab coat over his Chinese-style shirt, he covered his mouth with a paper mask to stop the spread of possibly acrid bacteria. Ryan was there but his eyes were closed and his head suspended by his palms. Despite this, the CSI had assembled a full male torso, the entire lower half of a woman, a right arm that looked like it had been ripped, a left foot and a partial hand, all catalogued and properly identified.

"Great job but what are you doing now?"

"Trying to figure out what Doña Socorro would use all of these for. I mean, why would she have done so many trial runs when all she needed was one per kid?" Ryan pondered out loud.

"Maybe because she had to perfect her technique. Necromancy has never been a perfected art, largely out of fear. Most people want to have a submissive partner, someone that will obey them, no questions asked." Kino explained as he observed the hand closely. He held the hand to Ryan and let it dangle.

"You see those nicks along the thumb and index fingers? These mean that the tissue tried to regenerate without guidance. A necromancer or reanimator in this case practically guides the dead into coming back, so the whole 'spontaneous revival' is bullshit as long as there's human hand involved."

"So what you're telling me that Doña Socorro is a fake?"

"More like a fluke. Most reanimators don't actually bring back the dead on their first try. The lady must've been trying to find her niche, her own personal technique. Add supply-and-demand and we get rushed trial runs, misbehaving zombies, like the one that attacked you, among other side effects. She tried to cheat her way by making cheaper sacrifices for bigger demand."

Ryan's mind clicked. " 'In order to obtain a desired product, an equal amount of reactants and reactors must be added to achieve the wanted reaction.' Right?"

Kino smirked, impressed. "And you thought of this all by yourself?"

Wolfe retorted, "Preternatural and medical science may be your domain, but Physics and Chemistry are mine."

* * *

Horatio had so many questions in him, some more childish than investigative. But all lead to the same one that came out of his mouth,

"Tell me what happened the day you came back."

Speedle sighed profoundly before he began. "I don't remember anything other than taking my first breath. It was like I was taking a breather after being underwater for too long. I was strapped to a rusted stretcher and I couldn't open my mouth. I looked around to see many used cutting utensils and even more blood and gore. It looked like an old operating room complete with abandoned corpses and used scrubs. The doctor came in, cut the stitches in my mouth with a professional scalpel and told me I was to serve her."

"Doctor? There was a doctor presiding?"

"She didn't look like a doctor; she had a formal blue dress with loads of sequins, her breasts practically falling out it, her face made up and all. I didn't know better. Apparently I was a failure."

Horatio growled under his breath; Marla had dared call one of his CSIs a failure. "And why is that?"

"My first job was to hide some evidence for a local entrepreneur and I missed my cue. She took me by the hair and tossed me into storage." Tim managed to respond, the traumatic event reliving in his eyes.

Horatio tried not to strain Speed but he had to ask, "What do you mean 'storage'?" He saw the man tremble uncontrollably.

"It was like an oversized drawer but without air holes. She told me that she would take me out when I learned to get my act together. I don't know how long I stayed but the calendar said it was September. I half-expected to die in there but…well here I am." Speed rubbed his forehead. "Anyways, I wasn't allowed to listen to the local news, or any communication. Marla told me that I was an abomination for the rest of the world and I'd be eliminated on sight."

_Typical brainwashing technique, cut off the subject from the world, keep him ignorant._ Horatio thought.

"So I tried to get rid of my past life. I knew I had been a cop since I still had my badge so I wrote down every name that came into my mind in a scrap of paper and buried them in the hospital's basement." Speedle then looked up to Horatio's eyes. "I knew I could never be Tim Speedle again, I'd committed so many horrible things to claim that name. "

Horatio patted the man on the back and replied genially, "You never stopped being him. You still had your own thoughts and that was Speedle all the way." Noting the hour and completely dismissing it, Caine continued with his interrogation that was slowly becoming a reunion with a long-lost friend. "All you need is motivation." He outstretched his hand.

"Are you willing to be Speed again? Or do you want to go back to your boss? Personally, being an assassin is way easier than being a cop, much less a crime scene investigator. Either way, you're free to go."

Speed hesitated but accepted Horatio's offer and shook his hand. He smiled gratefully as the gesture broke Marla's enforced contract and established a new one with the lieutenant. "I can tell you who my master was, and where she's located."

"That can wait. First, let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

Delko and Tripp presided over Walter Thompson's interrogation while Calleigh helped Ryan with his evidence. Both men prayed the woman had a cast-iron stomach as the process began. Walter dressed in an expensive Armani suit that went way above what Delko made in a year, six months at it's cheapest.

"We found your fingerprints in a pocket watch near the site where your daughter was found." Eric started, opening a manila folder and showing the man his evidence.

"I might've touched it while Glencoe was working. He always brought her to work; he's a good man." Mr. Thompson replied. "I have witnesses to corroborate that. All my coworkers thought it was a cruel joke to my dead wife."

Delko's eyebrows cocked, "Evidence says otherwise. I dated the print and its particles tell us that you must've handled said pocket watch either outside or inside the St. Lucia Inn. The other fingerprints are from Tyler Perry, the go-between and Felicity herself." Seeing Mr. Thompson's staged surprise (or was it? He couldn't tell for certain), the CSI went on. "Human skin is coated with oil and this particular oil is very sticky. So sticky in fact, that it captures airborne particles from the environment and glues it into the ridges of fingerprints."

Eric made a mental note to thank Natalia for mentioning that in a previous case.

"In layman's terms, we found dust belonging to lead-based paint and degraded wood, all belonging to the St. Lucia Inn." Frank retold with his characteristic bluntness.

Mr. Thompson motioned his head forward. "Like you said, oil is sticky stuff. They might've adhered when Felicity came into the area. All you have is that I touched Felicity's watch."

"We've got more than that." Frank stated. "We've got a witness."

And for the first time in the length that Frank had spent with Mr. Thompson, he saw the man become genuinely worried. _And you thought you outsmarted me._ "You see you thought you knocked out the go-between but you didn't check. If you did, you'd be in a body bag too with a guy that _batty_."

Eric wanted to explode in laughter; no way Frank had just said that. Out of respect and his endangering rib cage, he suppressed the laughter and let the detective follow through. "He told one of our investigators that he had seen a man wrestle with Felicity until she fell into the hole."

"Could've been anyone." Walter tried to stand his ground but Eric had one more ace.

"That's Armani, right?"

Thompson seemed wary to answer. "Yes. Custom-made."

"And I'm willing to bet that you've got more than a few at home." Delko waited until Walter took the bait. "So what's that got to do with anything?"

"We could get a search warrant and tear your suits apart and I'm also willing to bet my year's salary that one of them might have Felicity's epithelials just around the sleeve rims." Eric pushed on.

"God knows you need to look your best for when we finally find that little girl's skin cells or nail fragments from the fight had." Frank chided, staring into Mr. Thompson's dropping face.

* * *

Otis arrived two minutes later than Marla had ordered but his high was still circulating through his veins. The little girl was tussled and, like Ruthy, vainly trying to cry. Marla simply gave him a wicked glare and took the girl. She inspected the girl thoroughly before handing her off to another of her servants.

"Slightly damaged but nothing a bit of make up can't fix." She then wrote on a receipt notebook the name and age before death. "She'll be going to a madam I have in Orlando. Not bad for your first order of business." She grinned. "Guess losing Speedle was worth getting you into my business."

She held a flask filled with an acrid yellow liquid. "Now drink and we can finalize your induction."

"What is it?" Stuart asked warily.

"Cyanide mixed with my blood. First it kills you and then makes you immortal."

"But I escaped the death penalty!" Otis yelled, now regretful of the deal he made.

"No, I saved you from the chair and you did agree to work with me." Marla enjoyed this moment, the moment in which human desire and error became gross mistakes, the moment in which humans couldn't escape her power.

All it took was one swig and Otis was dead.

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A/N: Reviews are always welcome! 


	17. Savagery

_A/N: Thank you for the reads and reviews! I honestly thought people didn't read this fic but it turned out otherwise!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister_

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17, Savagery

_Death is a funny thing._ Horatio thought as he waited for Speed to finish cleaning himself. It also taught him invaluable lessons about people, even more so when they just came back. Horatio learned not to cheat death, unlike his brother Raymond. With Speedle as proof, he could easily find Yelina and tell her that 'death do us part' was obsolete. No, this is an exception; no way in hell did Caine want a zombie brother and father to Ray.

"You ok in there?"

A pleasant yes boomed in the showers and Horatio decided to inspect Tim's clothes. It took some digging and somewhat ninjutsu skills to avoid Alexx's impeding scold to find Speed's case box with his last clothes on that sad day on Earth but the lieutenant located them nonetheless. His face saddened as a finger poked through the bullet hole that killed the CSI.

"Is that how I died?" Tim asked, snapping Horatio out of his trip down memory lane. He nodded and handed the garments to the dripping wet man. As he dressed, Speed felt much more at ease with himself; he knew in the back of his mind that this was how he was supposed to look like. A couple of names came up and he couldn't resist the chance to ask the lieutenant. "There is a Calleigh here, right? Or a Delko?"

Horatio lit up and responded, "Yes. Calleigh's upstairs and Delko, his first name is Eric by the way, is in the interrogation room with Frank Tripp."

"Damn, I'm remembering a lot faster than I thought." Speed remarked, now hopeful that more would come along. "I want to meet them when you have the chance."

"As soon as we wrap this case, I'll make up an excuse to get us all in the same room and I'll present them to you." Caine promised. "But for the time being, try to stay out of trouble."

"Will do, sir."

* * *

Frank was positive the evidence would provoke a more sentimental reaction from Thompson but all he and Eric got was an ironic chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Detective Tripp, do you have children?" Walter inquired rather unscrupulously. The detective suddenly had the urge to beat the crap out of the man but refrained from doing so. The lab had enough issues, supernatural or not.

"Yeah, two."

Walter slanted to the back of the chair and proceeded. "And do you love them?"

"Of course." Eric could guess where the conversation was leading up to and knew better than come between them.

"Would you care for them when they're sick? Help them when they're troubled?" A short, dramatic pause and the suspect continued. "Would you give up an arm for them?"

"Where are you heading with this?" Frank interrupted, exasperated by the theatrics.

"Would you put them out of their misery if a situation called for it? Take their lives just to make the pain and suffering stop?" Walter then looked straight into Tripp's eyes. "If I am guilty of anything, it should be for loving my daughter."

"You had your chance when she was alive." Eric retaliated, his anger mounting against the man. "Yet the babysitter claimed you and your wife ignored Felicity. She was invisible."

"My mistake was choosing the food I put on the table than the person I was doing it for, I'll admit it. But when I saw her with Glencoe, it was as if God had given me a second chance to redeem myself." Walter slammed his fist onto the Plexi-glass table. "When I learned she was prostituting herself, I wanted to bid the highest price, even if it meant selling the refinery. I put $ 4.5 million for Felicity and what do I get? Some oil tycoon from Austin ponies up $ 10 million up front in cash. I couldn't compete with that."

"So you went to get her yourself. After extorting Ferrer Glencoe for information, you headed for the St. Lucia as soon as night fell, so you would have an alibi. You spotted Felicity and decided it was time. You didn't notice that Tyler Perry was there as a go-between so you attempted to subdue him once you found him. I still can't see _why_ you killed Felicity though." Eric explained, leaving his doubt to tantalize Thompson.

"She didn't recognize me when I met with her, she blew me off when I reached out for her. That thing wasn't my Felicity; she was an outright disgrace. I lost control and tried to slap some sense into her but she put up a fight." Walter chuckled again. "She tripped on something and fell into the hole, holding out her arms as if I'd save her. I wouldn't save that monstrosity even if my wife pleaded."

The mental reel of Felicity's innate struggle cut through both men's hearts. "Monstrosity or not, that was still a little girl." Eric spat out. "Dolls don't have memories of who they were, they just follow orders. Felicity was being obedient as she was when she was alive."

"And that makes this a hate crime and second degree murder." Frank added. Now it was his turn to berate Thompson. "God gave you another chance and you wasted just because your precious little girl wasn't perfect. You're pathetic."

Thompson glared; he wasn't going to come down his high horse just because some Hispanic cop gave him some facts and a moron just told him what he did was immoral. "You would've done the same if it were one of your kids."

"No, what I would've done is keep bidding and bidding until I had my child back, even if it cost me everything in this sorry excuse of the world." Frank responded as he slapped the cuffs on the man. "Even an arm or a leg, just to be sure."

* * *

Calleigh's nose wrinkled at the smell of days old meat but she promised Kino she'd help Ryan move the evidence to Alexx's post. "Where did you find these?"

"Let's leave it at that I might've ended up like them if I wasn't careful." Ryan relied, placing the dismembered hand in a container. The younger CSI caught on quickly and placed the torso in a cabinet all on it's own. When they finished, Duquesne grinned sweetly. "I know about the ham and eggs you sent for me over at the diner. Still hurting?"

Ryan laughed and pulled a slab of what once the thigh of the female corpse. "Hardly the time and place to discuss that but yeah. You knew I was a rookie and you took advantage of that."

"Hey, I was a rookie too! I deserve to get mileage from newbies like you and Natalia." Calleigh challenged, her smile now playful. "You'll get your chance and believe me, you'll enjoy it. "

"So what are you going to do with Boa Vista? Tell her that some serial killer beheaded his victims and then sold their heads as souvenirs?" Wolfe asked as he put away the evidence and closed that cabinet.

"Aww, you're no fun." The ballistics expert took her gloves off and tossed them into the biohazards container. Her cell phone chirped and with a quick check, she knew she had to go. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Horatio Caine to report to and a Natalia Boa Vista to traumatize."

* * *

After dropping Speedle in his house, Horatio played back the interview he had with him. No inconsistency in his speech, no rehearsing noticeable or any red herring to distract him. With his testimony, Marla Ruez would be arrested on desecration, extortion, and conspiracy to commit murder. And where Marla was, Stuart was there with her. Stuart's psychological picture painted a leech; one that Caine was more than willing to kill. He missed his chance so long ago because he was dangling for his life, now he was an escaped Death Row and it was fair game.

_All I need is a location and they're both finished. _

As soon as he got out of his Hummer, Horatio suddenly coughed harshly, blood landing on the pavement. His vision became blurry but he tried to enter the lab without being perceived. At least this attack wasn't as dramatic as the last one; he took comfort in that fact. He arrived at his office with Calleigh waiting for him, files on hand. He had requested her via the phone to compile everything on Otis and Ruez in order to find common ground. _They're not that different; both are predators and they need things from the outside. _

The 9:00 am sun was sure to keep Marla away but he wasn't as certain with Otis. He could have been altered into one of Marla's kind, giving him more time but less opportunity to find him.

"Anything on the news?" Horatio asked as Calleigh spread the photos over the desktop.

"Tammy Henderson and a girl that was killed on the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Orlando." Duquesne replied, flipping on the television set. Horatio's interests switched and he neared the screen. In full glory of color, was Ruthy's tiny body being hauled off to the Orlando Homicide division. Her throat severed, she seemed more at peace than when he and Mac first apprehended her.

"…The medical examiner predicts that the time of death was at around 6:23 am just before dawn…there is no lead and an open investigation is being formed in order to solve this heinous crime." The brunette reporter stated, an obvious competitor to Erica Sykes, before signing off from the newscast. Calleigh noticed how Horatio's face hardened before he returned to his desk.

"Was she relevant to the case?"

"More than that; her untimely death just gave us a timeline and a possible area to look." Caine answered, dialing the Orlando County.

* * *

Otis' body convulsed violently as the color of his skin became white. The blue veins pulsated around his face while the rest of him shook on the ground. He had drunk the entire flask in a single sitting just two minutes prior, already killing him from cyanide poisoning. A normal person would take three days to change into a bloodsucker but Marla didn't have the patience for that.

A few moments later and Stuart sprang up, gasping for air. He then studied his new appearance, examining the glass nails and classic canines in his mouth. Ruez tossed him a plump white chicken. She watched gleefully as Stuart devoured the poultry, splashing his immediate surroundings with blood and white feathers. _Now for the real test…_

"You should rest now, the sun's our enemy and we wouldn't want to spoil our revenge on a certain cop now, do we?" Marla suggested in a motherly tone, cooing the newborn monster in her arms. "You keep eating until you're full, all right?"

In a sight that brought anyone nightmares, Stuart smiled and continued ravaging the rest of the stock while Marla took off the make-up and slipped into her own closed room. She may have been a vampire but she wasn't about to degrade herself into sleeping in a stuffy coffin.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are welcome!


	18. Internal

_A/N: Sorry I took a while to put this chapter up, I just didn't have the heart to put in all the falling action here._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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18, Internal

The DADE Memorial Hospital was just like any hospital; people either helping others or just coming in for medical assistance. Mac sat down over in the waiting area right after paging for Kino's suite. He sat besides an expecting mother and her husband, both cradling their unborn treasure. He simply replied with a smile and took a newspaper from the pile. Like the television, reporters ate up the sensational murder of Tamatha Henderson; drawing longwinded descriptions about details most people don't want to hear during breakfast. Sarcastic wit aside, Horatio had been careful about revealing Taylor's involvement to the media.

Holly Queens, Daikonran's nurse called out and allowed Mac into the examination room. Typical of the man's nature, there were various items that could fit well in either a doctor's office or a Halloween shop; lab cases were held together by a jar with a pickled rodent that Mac couldn't place, a stethoscope and a lab coat hung by a handmade coat hanger all the way from the Black Forest in Germany plus miscellaneous trinkets from Southeast Asia. The detective examined a vial that read _Kappa Brains- for ill stomachs _and laughed inside.

_Forget Pepto-Bismol; eat a demonic duck._

Besides it was a large stack of books, subjects ranging between North American Indian spells, angelic hymns, a worn down anatomy book and, oddly enough, a child's picture book. He always remembered the doctor as being odd and contradicting by default, no one could tell what his mouth would spew out next.

_If he says "Oogie Boogie" one more time, I'll clock him._

"All right let's get you checked so I can go back to my real patients over there." Daikonran entered, raven hair in a ponytail and white coat. Mac then underwent a normal check-up routine: heart pressure, ear, mouth and everything else in between. After fifteen minutes, Kino concluded and began the questioning.

"Have you been exposed to anything unpleasant to you? Holy water or anything that you haven't consented to?"

"No."

"Have you had any contact with anything other than human in the last twenty-four hours?"

"No."

Kino made a few notes and put away the file alongside the rest of his paperwork. He then closed the door, the windows and any other way information might leak out. "Now start from the first symptom."

* * *

Calleigh tried to make sense of what Horatio said but seeing him search furiously for any abandoned buildings in Orlando gave her a pretty good what was going on. Marla Ruez had been their first unnatural case and was the source of Caine's problems ranging from torture to surgically extracting an artificial wing off his back. Now they had a prostituting ring that involved the dearly departed Felicity Thompson and the late Tammy Henderson. 

"There are a couple of abandoned buildings in the Orlando area fitting the description of what she'd be housing herself." He finally spoke, his voice now built up and tense.

"Where did you get that information?" Duquesne inquired.

"A source…you'll probably recognize him when you see him. But now we need to get to this building as soon as we can." A quick check on his watch and Horatio construed that Marla was already tucked in for the day, a perfect chance to catch her with minimal losses.

If his experience in Louisiana taught him and Calleigh anything was not to approach Marla head on. The failed SWAT team that Stetler had sent for Horatio had been decimated and there were still unidentified bodies to be located. The lieutenant wrote "Hospitals" on the subsequent search bar and clicked away.

"Calleigh, call Special Forces. Tell them we're executing a raid in…" The computer beeped with the results. "The Old Presbyterian Hospital near the Amtrak Railroad."

"Conveniently suspended due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. That woman loves misery, doesn't she?" she remarked as she dialed the agency.

"Misery loves company."

"Hello? Yes, This is Calleigh Duquesne from Miami-DADE police…"

Horatio then turned around and sprinted to the interrogation room. He needed all the help he could muster, especially considering whom the first line of defense was coming up against.

"Frank, Eric; are you both finished?"

* * *

The assault team lined the normally tourist-filled streets of Orlando. Some believed that this was nothing but a demonstration of military prowess by the state government. A Scandinavian vacationer sneered at the display as the vehicles crossed over to the more derelict areas of the attractions. 

"So, why does a Miami team need to carry out a raid in Orlando?" Lieutenant Harriet McGraw chided rather unbecomingly over her cellphone. The fact that it was time for the weekly parade was an annoyance that she was willing to partake. But an unannounced raid on the same day? The day just kept getting better and better. A female voice with one hell of an accent calmly replied,

"Because a potentially dangerous criminal that escaped OUR Death Row and is in hiding in YOUR vicinity."

_Cocky broad._ Harriet had no patience that day, with three sexual harassment charges dispatched for no apparent reason. Her police units were all lined up at the location, awaiting the visiting forces for the next move. There weren't as many as a local raid due to belated bureaucracy and McGraw preferred it that way. She was one to always favor the underdog.

"Is the suspect armed?"

"No, but he may be at the location. There is also more than one volatile accomplice with him so bring out extra protection. We'll be there shortly."

The Miami-DADE Hummer arrived in a timely fashion to the abandoned sanitarium. Harriet's jaw nearly dropped, where the hell was the back up they said they had?! All she saw stepping out of the vehicle was a blonde woman, and three men; one Cuban-looking, another balding but looking older than some of her rookies, and a red-haired man who underneath those sunglasses looked like he meant business.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are welcome 


	19. Paralysis

_A/N: Sorry I took so long with this one!! And thank you for the reads!_

_For this chapter alone, I'd like to move it M, so if anyone is uncomfortable, let me now, ok?_

_Horatio, Mac and his respective CSIs (c) CBS__

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19, Paralysis

The old Presbyterian Hospital was just as derelict and decomposed as Speedle had described it to Horatio; graffiti sprawled all over the outside walls, decaying wallpaper peeling off musty plaster support beams and menacing broken windows staring down upon the special response team. Calleigh could only imagine that just a short while ago this had been just like DADE Memorial; full of life and bustling activity.

"Theatrics always conceal incompetence." McGraw spat haughtily. Not the first time a perpetrator used a dramatic location to coop his or herself. Horatio forgave her remark; it wasn't theatrics that moved Marla Ruez. It was control and the abandoned sanitarium was just perfect to isolate her minions and satisfy her mandating streak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, she's not about to give herself up or make our job any easier so let's keep that in mind." The lieutenant stated while he grabbed a Kevlar jacket.

"The warrant tells me this is for Stuart Otis. You never mentioned a woman." Harriet discredited. She needed her reinforcement for something else and she was one to follow the rulebook to the letter.

"It still is; we're just getting an added bonus." Frank retorted, peering through a pair of binoculars. Harriet sighed rather unconvinced but Miami had jurisdiction or so the piece of state-awarded paper Calleigh Duquesne brought in. Watching the visitors suit up in protective gear made her cast doubt on the whole thing.

"Shifting movement on the contagious diseases ward," one of McGraw's subordinates informed.

"Probably one of Ruez's troops. This place is massive," Duquesne stated quickly surveying the scope. "Wouldn't be surprise if we encountered a few more of her associates."

* * *

Marla woke up to the startling sounds of rumbling earth. She slept only two and a half hours. Marla berated herself for killing Ruthy in such a public manner; her immediate satisfaction couldn't be worth the media attention. The seductress then sent a scout to relay the situation. He returned with an anxious state of mind; something was definitely up.

She quickly dressed herself with a bathing robe and threatened the lackey. "You better be telling the truth." Covering her eyes with a pair of Versace sunglasses to avoid becoming blind, Marla peered through the farthest window and saw what she was up against. Staring back at her was her fallen angel, fitted with black and a menacing defiance in his eyes.

_Horatio Caine…Archimedes would kill to be here right now._

She quickly realized her situation and organized her priorities, ordering her legions in an offensive manner. Ruez then arranged her attack in the main lobby but not before rallying them. Marla had been an avid speaker and orator, her poisonous tongue rallying her undead foot soldiers in a bloodthirsty frenzy. She picked her words carefully as she calmly stated the situation in a frantic room. Her supposedly heartfelt speech ended with a simple but powerful statement.

"Let's show them how easily they break."

* * *

One Molotov cocktail to the middle ground set the scene in motion; bursting its shards on the humid ground and landing onto a scout's face. Already trigger happy, another special response member responded with a hail of AK-47 bullets, only to have his ear screamed off by Harriet. A riot ensued within the crumbling hospice wall, giving Caine and his team the cue to swoop in.

"Frank, you stay here and help Harriet. Eric, Calleigh; you're coming with me."

Horatio and Calleigh drew out their guns and clicked the safety measure off. Being personally attached to the damned parasite, they cautiously entered the perimeter. Just as the forces drew closer to the main gate, one soldier silently disappeared into the ground, never to be seen alive again. It would be another week until a clean up crew found him impaled. The lieutenant pinpointed with almost unnatural accuracy where those nasty plots after seen a couple more vanish just in front of him, careful to guide his CSIs.

_She's going in guerilla style warfare; we're definitely in the right place._

Cracking the lock was the easiest part of the raid, just a quick twist of the pliers. Getting inside and facing an ambush was the hard part. Horatio sent a hand signal to Tripp back at base that they were ready to enter. Frank then replied with an OK and a godsend and watched Horatio, Eric, Calleigh and their support go into the former reception area.

* * *

Ryan had stayed behind due to two reasons; one, he had enough undead for the day and somehow was thankful he didn't have to head out the field. Lunchtime was drawing near and his stomach was growling, even after all the gore he had to sort out from. He wished he wasn't the only one left on the Felicity Thompson case but now he had the privilege of interviewing Doña Socorro Almídar.

"Great way to learn all about the underworld. Think of this interview as your own synopsis of Dante's Purgatorio." Kino had so poetically stated before punching out his time card and getting ready for his job in DADE Memorial. Just before he left the post, Wolfe picked up some of the bank account research he had done to strengthen his case against the Costa Rican reanimator and to tie her in to Marla Ruez.

_Gee, thanks a lot you self-absorbed prick. _Ryan quickly took back his insult as he spotted Ciél and Lambda Kino sitting on the waiting area. He sprinted to the holding cells and prayed that the kids would never hear him badmouth their father that way.

"You had a great operation, Ma'am. Making dolls for any provider, getting commissions like corporate big fish." he started the interview as he presented Socorro's credit history, revealing depositing ranging from $4,000 to nearly $10,000 all paid in cold hard cash. Almídar nodded nervously as she looked into Ryan's eyes. The investigator recognized that fear; she felt watched by an evil presence.

"Um…this building has blood spilling from that door." She pointed to the reinforced closet door just across the hall. Wolfe sighed and replied,

"Yes, we have a haunting problem here but now we're trying to find out where you got these huge deposits. The people over in Human Relations tell me you live alone with no spouse or breadwinning family member here in the US and there has been no mail sent for you from Costa Rica."

Socorro resisted opening her mouth so Ryan went on to say,

"Trust me when I say this: you're safer in here than your place right now. We can deal with Marla Ruez and her gang."

The name struck a chord with the woman. "No one's ever safe with her. That's why I kept my family back home where she has no power."

"If you keep opening up, I'll promise you that we'll put her in a wooden box and bury her alive." Ryan promised with a smile, provoking a much shyer response from Socorro. "So, you ready to talk?"

* * *

The peeling paint chips littered what used to be the reception area, making any sudden movements nearly impossible for the assault team. With a hand signal, Horatio ordered three to head towards the Contagious Diseases ward, where suspicious activity was first seen. He then sent two to head the front hall that was once the ER and finally commanded his own team to lead into the Surgical Area.

_To see where Speed was born…Ironic._

From her makeshift station on top a squad car, Harriet heard the steps of her men skidding and sidestepping in the empty hallways. Frank found a bit disturbing that this was the second time he had heard this; the last one led up to a massacre that transmitted through a radio sequence. He too had heard the slaughter in Louisiana when Stetler had given the order. In his hands held the walkie-talkie that was complementary to Horatio's. Lead interference worsened the static, making intelligible messages downright near impossible. A quick disembodied growl filtered through the static, alerting Tripp.

_They're going into a trap;_ he worried. The growl grew stronger with each step the team took until it became metallic and redundant. After clearing his head, he realized it was the creaking of a dying ventilation fan. _Still freaking creepy._

* * *

In the impermeable darkness of the plaster and cement walls, the three armored men arrived at the Contagious Diseases without a hitch. The leader reported his position over the walkie-talkie while his two partners checked the perimeter. Around them were jars, sealed Pietri dishes and vials, all labeled with various afflictions.

"Any distinguishing information?" Harriet asked.

"Rubella, herpes, three types of flu; this place is a ticking biological disaster." The officer read out loud. At the same time, one of the group separated himself and wandered into the farthest corner of the ward. A door stood out from the decayed surrounding with a tab that "Experiments".

The other made mental notes of the room's state: rotting meat and blood covering the wall in a trail that ended with a withered corpse. Eyes and jaw both open; the individual was covered in boils and exposed sores on his bluish skin. The officer poked the body with the barrel of his state-awarded AK-47.

"Sir, we have a dead…" the next sound out of the officer was a gurgle and a loud thump sound. Almost simultaneously, the other opened the door and with a swift jab, had his face ripped cleanly off his mug. He dropped back-first onto the floor and convulsed violently, covering his bare head. The team leader rushed to his side, grabbed the receiver and dialed for help.

"This is team C-3, we've just been ambushed!" he yelled desperately, alerting McGraw almost instantly. Static interfered when the assault officer relayed his condition, now catching Tripp's attention.

"Where?! How?!" she screamed in response.

"Over at the…" a sickening crack resonated in Harriet's receiver and no more of team C-3 was heard. The woman's nerves tensed; she lost three men in one foul swoop. She looked at the Miami detective with open-eye shock, her expression reading; _You weren't kidding about the perp, were you?_

Not hesitating for a second, Frank quickly switched his radio transmitter and roared, "HORATIO GET OUT NOW!"

* * *

The commotion went unperceived by the lieutenant's team as they arrived at the basement. Like other previous hospitals, the Operating room was in the lowest floor of the hospital, a foolproof way to keep mistakes and mishaps under control and out of public view. Following the twisted tradition, the CSIs found themselves facing mounds of bones and decaying corpses, many mutilated beyond identification.

Eric quickly scanned the area for any outside movement. "We're good here." Both he and Calleigh lowered their guns while Horatio peered into the Viewing Theater. Apparently, the raid had interrupted something as he stared into a botched procedure; a female body covered in a simple white surgical napkin with obvious signs of struggle around her ankles and wrists.

"Take it easy. We're in their turf and I'd like to leave with all my limbs attached."

* * *

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated


	20. Subpoena

_A/N: Thank you for all the reads!!_

_It's almost finished and I hope you like this and the conclusion of this fanfic!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

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20, Subpoena

Horatio scrutinized the surgical theater from the safety of the reinforced door and observed its sleeping occupant. He then carefully opened the gate and entered the room with caution. Both Eric and Calleigh accompanied him inside, unbeknownst of whomever was with them.

"Nothing's here besides the body, H." Delko stated. Unconvinced, Horatio tugged the sheet in a sharp angle and exposed the victim in a gruesome light. Her eyes were shrieks of terror; mouth taped to the table and police issue handcuffs restrained her limbs. The nameless woman was opened and several items were missing in her chest cavity nonetheless she was still trembling. Duquesne turned her sights away in sheer disgust; this was a torture cell. Her realization came too late; she suddenly felt two gravitational drops of saliva land around her collar. Calleigh lifted her gun to the roof and met two blood-red eyes.

Otis landed roughly on top of the ballistics, causing her shriek to be muffled by his ravenous hands. Eric immediately fired two shots at the abomination, reverting its attention from the woman to the male CSIs just beside her. Stuart flashed his new appearance, hissing animal flesh to the floor. He then lounged towards Eric's position on all fours, aiming straight to the neck. Out of nowhere, Horatio tackled Otis to the ground while Delko reached out to help Calleigh.

Calleigh appeared unconscious, her collarbone slit open by Stuart's claws. "She's out cold!"

Caine landed a quick but powerful jab onto the monster's jaw before yelling, "Get her and the ER officers out through the emergency exit, now!"

Without questioning, Eric quickly nodded, picked up his fallen partner and ran as fast as he could to the theater exit. Otis saw this opportunity and slashed Horatio's face, completely missing the target but finally getting him off. The lieutenant instantly grabbed his gun and aimed, only to have the weapon tossed aside by another of Marla's cohorts he recognized.

"Jessop…good to see you again." Horatio spat while he picked up a discarded scalpel and jammed it into the dead officer's face with guided accuracy. While the former writhed in pain, Caine retook his gun and shot three times, ceasing the man's movement. Otis disappeared into the roof's lighting railings, now each shadowing the other's next move.

* * *

Eric rushed as Calleigh's wavering consciousness attracted an untold number of servants. Her blood stained the rear side of his dark blue cotton shirt, carrying her on his back was the quickest way out. The Cuban investigator had also grabbed Horatio's receiver and with it he screamed to Frank,

"Frank! Get an ambulance, right now!"

Over at the makeshift station, Detective Tripp was momentarily relieved that Eric had answered alive but sobered up at the request. Once the order was out, Delko sped through the neglected Emergency Room. He knew he had very little time to warn the Special Force officers so he simply yelled the alert. He got a groan as a response and with his consistent speed rushed to the source.

One of the two officers sent into the ER was gravely wounded, a rusty pipe sticking out of his abdomen while the other had been trying to find help. Without letting Calleigh go; Eric asked if the injured man could walk. Unable to remove his facial helmet, he nodded and shakily stood up. His partner, a concealed female who apparently had not been injured, rushed to help her partner out while Delko lead the way to the awaiting ambulances just beyond the abandoned hospital.

_At least we have other survivors…Calleigh, please hold on. _

* * *

"I promised you I'd capture you again." Horatio remembered, his sight keeping track of Stuart as he snaked his way to the farthest corner. He fired a warning shot, barely grazing Otis' right ankle. He got a snarl as a response and quickly fired to the origin. The lieutenant heard a yelp of pain and dashed to the ailing bloodsucker. Otis quickly recovered and savagely bit into Horatio's already injured forearm. He suffered for a split second before he shoved the monster a mouthful of his shoe.

Caine placed his gun on Otis' left temple and clicked the barrel for the next bullet. He neared his mouth onto the parasite's ear and whispered, "I always keep my promises."

Stuart managed to laugh through the pain. "There's always a first." Hearing this, Horatio worried straight away. "What do you mean?" Suddenly his cell phone rang. Otis smirked, "Answer it, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

At the same time, as Calleigh was loaded into the awaiting ambulance, Frank patted Eric on the back. Delko had relayed Horatio's order to the detective while medical assistance arrived, both very unsure of the lieutenant's safety.

"If he could escape a mansion of dead people, Otis is cakewalk." The Texas native stated in an attempt to comfort the CSI. Eric appreciated the help and with a fast shake of hands, he hopped on the passenger seat.

The uninjured female officer relayed all the facts that she remembered from the attack to Harriet while another took notes. But just as she finished, the officer requested a cellphone. "I have to inform my partner's family. We're very close."

Stunned at the brutality that her men had experienced, McGraw allowed the call to go through. The officer walked to a more isolated spot of the camp and dialed with lightning-fast speed. She waited three dial tones until a familiar voice answered,

"Horatio Caine."

"Let's talk, my fallen angel." There was a hint of cynicism in her voice as the lieutenant recognized the speaker.

"There's nothing to talk, Marla. We're going to capture you…"

"Don't start with that 'bring-me-to-justice' bullshit. You of all people know this." Marla spat while toying with her hair. "Now listen to me; you are going to smuggle Otis out of that hellhole or that blonde slut gets a shot of rat poison."

Caine paled, so many variables had just inverted and now he was the pawn. Kicking Otis' smile from his face, he took out a small cross from his breast jacket and placed it on his left arm, pinning the monster while he talked on the phone. "And how do you propose I do that when the hospital is crawling with your experiments?"

Marla giggled maliciously, "You found Lili? I knew you'd like her. I made her myself."

"I can see the detail." One could doubt the familiarity in which the conversation was taking shape but Horatio felt only the sense of revenge. "Speed was a cute addition. Really felt my heart tug with that one."

"Sadly, Timothy Speedle is a complete failure; you can keep him, no strings attached. Anyways, about Stuart," Ruez could picture Horatio's innards squirm at the thought of setting the child murderer free. "Put him in a black body bag and tell whoever is in charge that he's dead, you killed him, end of story. If you don't, my subordinate over at the hospital will in fact kill her, that Cuban guy and everyone else in the building. And you know better than to test me when it comes to you blood bags. "

The lieutenant stared at the monster and sighed resigned. "I'll be there in 5 minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

"Well, Mac, as far as I'm concerned, you're in great health and I have no explanation to the symptoms you've told me. Maybe you were hallucinating from the bullet that penetrated your left eye." Daikonran concluded as he ripped the hygienic tissue from his examination bed and tossed it aside. "But all signs point to a counter-race exposure."

"In English?" Taylor retorted while slipping his suit jacket back on.

"You probably encountered someone that cancels out your demon prowess, something that is your specific opposite." Suddenly, Kino's residence beeper went off, cutting the visit short. "Well, gotta go. You help yourself to a lollipop while I go to the ER and earn my day's pay."

Mac grinned, took a cherry-flavored pop and shook the younger man's hand. "Thanks doc; I'll go say hi to Sexie and the kids and finally enjoy this place for the next twelve days."

"I recommend the Aqua Vitae restaurant over at Sunset Strip, best Caribbean food made by ACTUAL Haitian chefs, I know blasphemy; and the Sweet Decadent Life club for the nightlife."

The New Yorker decided to go along with Kino, only to stop dead in his tracks at whom he was about to attend. Daikonran's face blanked and almost intuitively pinpointed Calleigh Duquesne's wounds as he sprinted on to the scene; plenty of cardiovascular vessels were nicked, alone not serious but collectively a threat to her health. Excessive bleeding from said injuries were telltale signs that they were arteries. At his normally lazy and irresponsible interns who slouched and chattered while he taught because of his young age, Daikonran yelled while examining Calleigh's heart with his stethoscope,

"LEROY, GET ME 150 cc OF BLOOD TYPE AB+; JENNA, GET ME A IV 400 mL COUNT OF ANTIBIOTIC, THE REST OF YOU GET TO WORK ON THAT PIPE NEXT DOOR, NOW!"

They stood unresponsive and stoic, as if the order wasn't for them. Mac watched as Daikonran murmured other orders to the ER nurses, practically stomp his way to the snobbish group and berate them in such a way that they were sorry they didn't do as they were told on the first try. Almost thirty seconds, Eric met up with the Yankee detective.

"Is Calleigh ok?" he asked while his partner was stabilized and slept soundly. Kino pulled himself from the situation and replied with a much more calm voice while the IV dripped away.

"She'll be fine, she's a fighter. Apparently, all the blood that she lost was from all the superficial vessels, which pump out a lot but not enough to be catastrophic and not the pulmonary ones as I previously thought. She'll be walking out of her a little weakened but she'll be back to her cheery self by tomorrow's coffee break." Daikonran sighed reassured. Mac, on the other hand, could smell the scent of undead just besides the sleeping woman.

* * *

Horatio could hear Stuart's humiliating laugh as he dragged the abomination across the ER Hall. He could see the bodies from which Marla and her subordinate had stolen the uniforms, tossed aside like broken mannequins, while the vampire eluded capture disguising herself and risking it all by heading into the sunlight. Once he was out, he signaled the rest of the Special Assault team to pick him up.

A relieved Frank greeted him while they took away the black body bag. "Take him to the Miami-DADE lab." Horatio ordered ruefully.

"You seriously have nine lives, Horatio." Tripp commented, scratching the back of his head. Caine didn't have the heart to tell him that this was just an elaborate hoax to protect Calleigh and Delko. He prayed silently that she would be fine, that the seductress kept the end of her bargain.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are welcome


	21. Stars

_A/N: Thank you for the reads!_

_This is the last chapter before the epilogue so I hope you enjoy it!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister

* * *

_

21, Stars

Ryan finished typing his report and rubbed his eyes. He finished just in time for lunch as the familiar smells of take-out permeated the lab. Wolfe was in the mood for some Chinese food and proceeded to print and file away the Thompson case. Socorro had indeed proven a great insight into the pseudoscience of necromancy, his report overflowing with cultural references, procedures and an assortment of techniques. She was ultimately charged with desecration and private property theft. All he had left to do was go to Alexx's post and fill out the release form for Felicity.

Along the way, he met up with Natalia, who had just arrived from her training. She greeted him warmly while asking, "Anything good happen while I was gone?"

Ryan gave her a strange look, a mix of surprise and futility as he shook his head. "You wouldn't believe it."

Boa Vista chuckled a bit, "Oh really? What happened this time, werewolves tear apart a sorority house?" She grinned in her unbridled curiosity.

"Umm, no." Wolfe caught a glance of his watch and cut the conversation with, "Listen, I have to fill out some papers over with Alexx. Can I interest you in Chow Mein from Lo Wa's? I promise to catch you up."

The woman sighed and nodded. "I want every excruciating detail."

_Your choice of words couldn't be the worst, Natalia._

Instead of the senior M.E., Ryan found Secondet cleaning the table for the next arrival. The boy-angel had no clear emotion in his face, just blank. The case hit way too close to home, especially with Otis loose. To try to cheer him up, Wolfe stated,

"Your kids are here."

"Thank you Wolfe but I already knew that." Secondet replied unemotionally as he sprayed disinfectant over the metal surface. Ryan saw himself and the dried tears being wiped away from the sheen surface and, completely disobeying both his own personal walls and his OCD, hugged the angel. He perceived Secondet as a vulnerable younger sibling. Secondet had been the one who opened Ryan's eyes into the dystopian society that was the preternatural. Leonhart released his tears into the CSI's cotton sweater vest; he had been exposed to the worry, the horrifying possibility that a man like Stuart Otis could take his daughter and commit atrocities much worse than death.

"They're waiting in H's office; I let them in."

The boy quickly cleaned his tears and rushed to the nearby desk. "You needed something, Ryan?"

"Yeah, release forms for Felicity." A second later, and the angel handed the paperwork. "You want lunch? My treat."

A sniffle then Secondet replied, "If you're willing to pay for three very hungry schoolchildren."

* * *

As Daikonran went off to tend other patients, Mac remained with Delko while they both watched Calleigh sleep. The rotting smell however never left the New York citizen's mind. In the next cubicle, there had to be an uninvited undead getting a pipe removed by unsuspecting interns. He had to something about it and it was better off that Kino didn't find out about it. Taylor bade Eric good-bye and his best wishes for Calleigh's recovery before starting his subtle approach. He opened the curtain and stated with outmost calm and certainty,

"You guys can go, Dr. Kino said you should practice on other patients. I'll watch him."

The gullible interns dispersed almost instantly, they were not about to disobey the doctor again. With their leave, Mac was left alone in the cubicle while the unknown individual struggled with pain. "Cut the crap and get up."

The man continued his suffering but before replying, "Can't. I'm getting quality medical care here."

Taylor ripped the helmet from man's head, revealing the photophobic skin to the 1 pm Miami sun. To smother the proceeding sounds, Mac grabbed a pillow and pressed it onto the man's face. "This could go two ways; either you tell me why you're here and probably live another nightfall or I could 'accidentally' toss you into the lobby parking lot and watch you explode into ash. Either way, I'll be entertained by your pathetic attempts at defending yourself."

The undead choked on the cotton and yelled through the pillow, "We're here to ensure that the lieutenant keeps his bargain with Madam Marla!"

"_We're_? Are you telling me there's more of you?" Mac pressed even harder without breaking a sweat.

"One for every three people in this building. We don't want any trouble; it's way past our normal curfew." The vampire stated, causing Mac to laugh.

"Curfew? Now I know you're pathetic." Taylor then estimated that there were at least one hundred and fifty of whoever this Marla character was; too many for him to take on without the possibility of harming innocent lives, many who were there to get better. Realizing this, he sighed reluctantly. "Your friends got lucky."

The unknown bloodsucker smirked cowardly through the pillow. "That's right…"

Now it was the detective's turn to smile. With a quick jab, he tore the cushion off along with the man's vocal cords and watched as he writhed in muted burning agony. The monster's skins boiled just as it melt and peeled away into grayish powder, his unnerving stare disappearing against the sun.

_Horatio, whatever you're doing better be worth not killing all of these bastards._

* * *

While the coroner's vehicle loaded the black body bag, Horatio surveyed the surroundings and spotted the waving figure that was Ruez. He gave her a quick glare and hopped into the van alongside the county coroner. He had to make sure that Otis behaved himself until Marla set a time to be released. Just before taking off, Horatio called Frank and ordered him to come along, gun fully loaded.

The hour-long trip was relatively commonplace, nothing out of the ordinary from the site to the Miami-DADE crime lab. When they arrived, a very disgruntled Alexx Woods greeted the lieutenant with a hint of rage. This was further aggravated when she saw the corpse.

"I am going to have fun with this one." She chided as her assistance transported the body inside.

"I'll help you restrain him." Caine added, placing the same cross that he had used the hospital on Otis' chest. The medical examiner's face lost her color when she heard Horatio say that and quickly turned to face him.

"Please tell me that was a sick joke."

"No joke, Alexx. And what's worse, I'll have to set him free." The statement caused a lot of pain, not just for those awaiting mothers inside the DADE Death Row chamber but also for the countless potential victims that would arise. He promised the coroner he'd explain everything just as soon as Stuart was loaded in a reinforce cubicle lined with holy items.

"On it." the hiss in Alexx's voice was evident as she led herself into her post. Once she entered the examination area, the medical examiner had a quick flashback of Marla's stay only two months prior and decided to take the proper precaution. She then took out some triple-knotted rope and snapped it for a second before strapping the child molester to the slide. "You stay put until I tell you to. I have a job to do."

* * *

Caine's cellphone rang about the same time he arrived at his own office. Realizing that the number was unknown, he decided to answer. "Horatio Caine."

"Miss me?"

"Who'd miss a sociopath like you, Ruez? Now what do you want? Stuart?" the lieutenant inquired, anger seething in his tone. "Otis is safe in the body vault, just waiting for your orders."

"Baby, let's talk about work for a second; you still want to protect the unforgiving world?" Marla's mood was cynical and sarcastic, acid to Horatio's ears. "Archimedes is weeping blood for you."

Horatio smiled humorlessly. "Then you'd better get the old boy something else to stick a pair of prosthetic wings. Not interested." The surgical scars from removing the remaining artificial wings from his back were pretty fresh, getting some very interesting glances in the lab's showers.

"Vamp humor, go figure." Wherever the seductress was, Caine figured, she was enjoying herself as he heard her sip from a drink and set it upon a wooden surface. "But you're right, there's is the matter of my newest cash cow. Tonight at 7: 30 pm. Use the back door. Come alone." The phone died down, leaving Horatio with much pent-up fury and a fully loaded Beretta Cougar 0.9mm. He flipped the cell phone off and headed for the DADE Memorial Hospital to check on Calleigh's condition.

* * *

Ryan's attempt at retelling the case in proved much more entertaining for Secondet's kids than the stupefied Natalia. Her head spun at every successive event the CSI related; it seemed just like a _Night of the Living Dead_ spin-off but even more ludicrous. The three children, however, giggled every time Ryan said a funny sounding word while Secondet scolded them.

"And all this happened in the last seventy-two hours?"

"Yep. You should've seen the place! It was lined with…" Ryan was interrupted by Boa Vista's hand. She was already bordering on throwing up when her meal arrived, a heaping bowl of beef-and-chicken noodle soup simmering in celery sticks and beets.

"This is a _fascinating_ story but I seriously need to get something in my stomach."

* * *

Calleigh insisted on being released once she woke up, using the pretext that she never took a sick day off, amusing Eric and Daikonran to no end.

"Well, a sick day isn't the same as almost getting your ribcage slashed open and living to tell the story." Delko remarked, Calleigh pouting in response.

"You bring me a certified doctor and he'll tell you otherwise!"

Kino put in hands on his while holding Duquesne's file. "I'm a certified doctor and I say you should sit back and enjoy the hospital food for tonight, because those gashes need to rest."

Mac reappeared in the cubicle, covered in gray powder but nonetheless glad the woman was feeling better. He patted the doctor in the back and said before leaving, "You take care of her, all right? Horatio is pulling a lot of favors to see her walk out _alive_."

The space became very quiet until Kino responded with, "Run that by me again?"

* * *

Nightfall dragged on and by 7: 30 pm, Horatio stepped out of the medical examiner's back door, Stuart's body bag on tow. He had explained the situation to Alexx, who reluctantly agreed to isolate the spot for the meeting. _On one condition: send that bitch my best regards for destroying my lab._

_Will do Alexx, _the lieutenant grinned as he waited. A black sedan limousine rolled through the gates. Ever the flamboyant woman, Marla stepped out of the car, dressed for a gala; a silk dress form-fitted tinged with cascading glitter hid her high-heeled shoes. Not something any sane person would wear for a negotiation.

"What's the occasion?" Horatio commented, meeting Marla's lingering eye for the first time in two months. In his hand gripped Otis' dragged corpse, knocked unconscious by a quick fist to the face when he and Dr. Woods tried to take him out.

"Every time I see you, it's motive to celebrate." She replied while ripping the bag from Caine's hand and with her typical supernatural strength, tossed the 250-pound man into the trunk. "The help doesn't sit where they're not really needed."

"We've kept our shares of the deal; you killed some people and I brought down your dollhouse. Now get out of Miami." Horatio chided before being cut short by a lip lock. He sensed the copper taste of blood in Marla's mouth and pushed her aside.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this." She whispered maliciously as she wrapped her arms around Horatio's neck only to have them shoved off.

"Chastity is a virtue. Practice it." Caine spat before heading back inside into the lab.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are welcome!


	22. Epilogue

_A/N: Whoo!! Finished!!!_

_Last night I lost the entire file but still had a bit left for the epilogue! Inspired by loads of Evanescence and Lacuna Coil repeats on my ipod. Gonna go and put up the next installment plus a two branch stories_

_Thank you for all the reads and enjoy this last chapter!!_

_Horatio, Mac and their respective CSIs (c) CBS, Daikonran and Secondet (c) my sister, Marla Ruez and Archimedes Di Visage (c) mine

* * *

_

Epilogue

_The Foretold Death of Horatio Caine_

Rain drizzled upon the wet cemetery grass as Felicity Thompson's funeral proceeded on. It was a small affair, barely any family members left to mourn for the little girl. Her father was in custody for her second murder, closing the Henderson dollhouse in the process. But case specifics were irrelevant as the entire investigative crew showed up to pay their final respect to her. Calleigh Duquesne places a small bouquet on top of the upturned earth and withdrew back into the somber crowd besides Mac Taylor and Ryan Wolfe. The New Yorker's two weeks were almost up; he had to return to the Big Apple. He did miss the overall atmosphere the city had but Miami left him a renewed sense of duty.

Among the mourners, Horatio Caine coughed blood onto his black sleeves besides Daikonran Kino. He dared not look at Felicity for he had let Stuart Otis go. Tim Speedle waited in his car while the precession took place. The lieutenant's mind raced at the consequences of his brash actions and their effect on his team. Horatio was more than willing to go back into Archimedes' mansion to get the child murderer back, just for this little girl. As the mourners sat for the quick religious service, he decided to have a little detour and walked down the grave lanes.

His heart took a nosedive as he spotted a disheveled tombstone. His blue eyes glistened with the falling drops while he seized the thorny weeds from Marisol's grave. Using his palms and a few puffs of breath, Horatio cleared the writing and let the rain do its work. He would come here whenever he felt lost in his work and needed to clear his mind. He sat cross-legged on a small patch of grass and stared silently into the marble headstone. In the last two months, he had frequented the spot.

"'_An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young, a dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young' _" Horatio heard Mac Taylor's voice over his streaming thoughts.

"A queen she was. I'm just sorry she didn't get to see it." The lieutenant's eyes met with the detective's light green orbs. "And I mean it for both of them."

Mac sighed as thunder rolled on in the sky. "At least she's going back from where she came from. Poor girl probably never knew who her father was, even though he seized her."

Horatio stood up from the moist green and shook Mac's hand. A shock of power rolled along Taylor's skin, causing him to quickly withdraw his hand. During his visit to Miami-DADE, Kino told him that all the strange symptoms he had experienced were from counter-race interaction. In other words, the holy water that Secondet might have injected was reacting with Horatio, making him temporarily adverse to the detective's health.

"Thanks for the tour. I'll be sure to get everyone a piece of this place."

Caine grinned mischievously, "You think Stella's going to appreciate the string bikini number you bought her?"

"Either way, it's going to be hilarious."

Horatio looked into the sky before asking, "Your demon side, it's a contract, right? Not permanent."

Mac was caught off guard with the question; the lieutenant never brought the subject of his demon half during the remainder of his stay. "Yes, why?"

"What's the breach? How do go back to being a human?"

Taylor's head bobbed for a second. "Simple; I find Claire." Noticing Horatio's confusion in the way he took his sunglasses and unconsciously toyed with them, the detective continued. "The contract was that I wanted to live long enough to find Claire's body. I didn't know it right then but her body was incinerated; North Tower plane crash."

Horatio understood what Mac was going to say next; the man would be stuck in perpetual limbo for only God knows. "I was close though, when her biological son surfaced. But that's as far as I'll ever get until anything else develops." Mac finished while he spotted Caine's team head into their cars. "You should head out too."

* * *

Both men spotted Speed as he exited the car and headed to the burial. They assumed that he wanted to pay his own respects, or as Horatio would later find out, satisfy his overflowing curiosity. For the last few days, Speedle wanted to meet his former partners, to see what he had left behind. Horatio promised a day in which everyone was in one place and that day was now. Out of courtesy, Tim had bought flowers for the women he remembered in his dreams.

Alexx took off her glasses and nearly collapsed while Delko's eyes seemed to pop out of his face. Tim instinctively lowered his head, staring shamefully at the large bouquet as he continued his way towards the group. Calleigh did a double take while Ryan simply smiled, so this was the famous Tim Speedle he had replaced.

The blonde quickly turned around to see her boss, only to see him nod and smile. With this as her signal, Calleigh met Tim halfway, her eyes swelling up with tears.

"Are you miss Calleigh Duquesne?" Hearing those words out of her dead friend's mouth, the woman burst crying, her smile dampened by the running make-up. She wrapped her arms and buried herself in his suit.

"How's it been, Speed?"

As D.B. Cooper and Valera tried their best to resuscitate Alexx from her momentary collapse, Mac shot back with a question before calling a taxi.

"Holy water's still a bitch isn't it?"

With the smile still there, Horatio responded, "I've been off treatment for two weeks. Secondet said he wanted to observe my condition for a while."

It was Mac's turn to be stunned; if Caine had been off the blessed water for two weeks, there was no possible explanation to what happened in that handshake. Holy water usually lasted 168 hours, or a week at best; nothing more, nothing less. It was until the cab's motor revved up that Taylor fleetingly spotted two massive objects protrude from the lieutenant's back.

_No freaking way…_

* * *

Archimedes Di Viságe sat lazily against his lacquered chair. His infamous slaughter room lay decorated by 12 corpses, all suffering miserable deaths. His protégé Marla Ruez had taken too long with her dollhouse errands. Though she did promise a new addition to his staff. He raised his glass filled with scarlet to the display on the fireplace mantle; a wing spanning 9 feet hung dry; dried brown spots dotted the white feathers.

_You will thank me one day, Horatio…the day you open your real wings. _

The vampire mused for a second as he drank his fill. _Maybe it is why you rejected the ones I gave you; your body knew mine were cheap imitations of the actual thing._

A knock on the door and Marla showed her deformed face, carrying a black corpse bag over her shoulder. After dropping the package besides her master, she knelt down and kissed his limp hand.

"I brought you a gift, Archimedes."

The lovely parasite chuckled, "Keeping your alliance in check, dearest? You know I'd never deface you unless you'd earn it." Patting the package made its contents moan in pain. "I take it this is our newest provider?"

Marla's perfectly crafted eyebrows cocked. "Didn't take much to convince him. He desperately needed a new playmate, cold or not. Plus he took a bite out of Horatio and the cocky gun bitch."

Archimedes's interest peaked, "Did he now? Well then, we can proceed with our own little play without recurring to outside forces." He then yelled for a servant to come while he unzipped the bag. Otis was semiconscious and coming in and out of himself; Marla had conveniently depraved him of any more blood until her arrival at the mansion. She, like Archimedes, valued whatever was in Stuart's stomach.

Madame Oretha, Horatio's caretaker during his stay at the Di Viságe manor, arrived with a powerful stride. Her legs were riddled with whipping scars; her incompetence was not to be repeated. In her hands was a most peculiar and sinister device. It was basically a discarded medical pump with five different tubes attached to it. Three fresh intravenous syringes shone against the dim lighting while two household hoses dangled along the floor. The motor itself was made of different mechanical parts already splattered with body fluids.

Archimedes relished at his newest torture device; many a zombie guard had his innards sucked out from their mouths just for his pleasure. The vampire looked giddily at Otis, watching him writhe. Without warning, Di Viságe jammed the IV into both of the man's forearm and into the neck aorta. With a malicious grin, Archimedes caressed Stuart's now frightened face before stuffing the hoses down his throat.

"Now, now; this won't hurt if you just stay still."

Revitalized, the bloodsucker stood up and exited the room. "I want him dry."

The screams filled with unimaginable pain charged Archimedes' sexual drive. His memories wondered to when he first bit Horatio's wrists, his first kick since his beloved Elizabeth died. That very night, he had arranged for a Covenant meeting that would be most special.

* * *

Once again, the manor lit up in the slowly rebuilding New Orleans skyline. A commotion reigned in the carefully maintained gazebo lawn of the Di Viságe manor. Opulence was a given as everyone invited had a connection to the 600 year old vampire; he was an extremely persuasive businessman and held a strong voice in Southern politics. All except Florida, the only state in the region not directly influenced by the Covenant. Archimedes wanted to make sure that this would change. Human allies partied outside whilst the undead communed inside.

The head of the Covenant, a thousand year old hag that had the ironic name of Mary sat with her mate while the rest sat in their respective chairs. The maids served fresh blood into their cups as Archimedes made his entrance, Marla on his right arm.

"Exquisite falls short to what you are pleasing us, Di Viságe. A fine rendition to your power." Mary complimented pompously.

"Please credit my dearest Marla; she, like all women, is very much capable of exalting greatness." Archimedes replied. Just as soon as the last glass was filled with crimson, the younger vampire stood up.

"My friends, my allies; I have brought you here two months to the day when I presented you to Elizabeth's replacement. Though I am sad to say that he has left us, I do propose a new beginning for us."

A rowdy Brazilian bloodsucker, looking to be 300, exclaimed, "Just like last time?"

Archimedes chuckled, "No, Paolo. This time, it is different." Again he redirected himself to the rest of the fifty and more guests. "For you see, we are those who cannot look into the Firmament again. I do not plan to block the Sun with my hand. I want to dominate those who are weak to desire, those still vulnerable to the Original temptation" He raised his glass proudly.

"I want to dominate Adam and Eve."

A crowd of "Hear, hear!" rang true and all the vampires took a hearty swig of their drinks. Archimedes's grin grew as he set down his drink. "Of course, there will be sacrifices."

Mary giggled, the drink was most intoxicating. "Like what? All must be run through us!"

"Well, for one thing…" Di Viságe said, weaving his fingers together. "You won't be there to see it."

Immediately after being said this, Paolo dropped to the floor and convulsed violently. Then it became a domino effect as the rest of the Covenant fell prey. Mary's outmost horror was replaced with fury. "How did you do this?!"

"Simple, Mary La Fey…" Archimedes once more held his glass. "_Blood from the heavens_."

Marla took the chance, hopped onto the tabletop. She drew a long blade from her dress and in one foul swoop; Mary's body fell limp and headless to the ground. Ruez then stepped off the top and drove the sword into the dead vampire's lover, shutting him up. She handed the object forever frozen in horror to her master, who waited until the last member of the organization deceased.

* * *

Commissioner O' Shay had been invited by a business partner in Miami to the lavish party. He had been enjoying the company and the festivities, just like a party in the sun-baked city. Suddenly the party stopped as two doors opened from the high balcony. A man with platinum blonde hair and gray eyes stepped majestically for all the guests to see his next move.

The young-looking man then rose what appeared to be a prop but turned to be a disembodied head. His grin was evident and accentuated by the low lights as he held the victim high. Disgust and nausea invaded O' Shay; never had he seen a grotesque display.

"To all of my blood bag guests, there has been a change of administration." He paused then continued. "This head is Mary's head; the Covenant is dead!"

A wave of gasps and horrified whispers took over the atmosphere. Had their business partners just been eliminated? Archimedes Di Viságe showed the head once more before yelling proudly into the night, "I AM THE COVENANT."

* * *

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are welcome


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